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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

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

Word bank: root · shower · trunk · bore · ruler · ball · prune · key

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. root — of a word
  3. prune — to trim
  4. root — of a plant
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. ball — a dance
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. key — for a lock
  10. root — the cause
  11. key — in music
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. prune — to trim
  14. bore — to tire
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. shower — to wash
  17. bore — to drill
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. shower — rain
  20. ball — a great time
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. key — the most important part
  24. ruler — for measuring

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