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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: can · bat · mate · key · prune · root · chair · court

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. root — of a plant
  5. mate — to breed
  6. chair — a leader
  7. bat — the animal
  8. key — the most important part
  9. court — of a king
  10. mate — a friend
  11. can — a tin
  12. can — a tin
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. court — for sport
  15. root — of a word
  16. root — the cause
  17. mate — a partner
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. key — in music
  20. prune — to trim
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. court — of law
  23. prune — to trim
  24. key — for a lock

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