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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
468
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: sharp · field · prune · spring · root · stick · nail · deal

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. spring — the season
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. root — of a word
  5. root — of a plant
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. field — farmland
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. spring — a coil
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. prune — to trim
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. prune — to trim
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. root — the cause
  19. field — a subject
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. field — for sport
  22. sharp — clever
  23. deal — to handle
  24. spring — of water

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