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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. root — of a plant
  3. prune — to trim
  4. mug — a face
  5. mug — to rob
  6. root — of a word
  7. charge — electricity
  8. court — for sport
  9. prune — to trim
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. root — the cause
  12. tube — the underground
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. tube — a container
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. bound — obliged
  17. charge — in control
  18. bound — certain
  19. mug — a cup
  20. charge — a price
  21. pitch — completely
  22. bound — tied together
  23. court — of law
  24. court — of a king

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com