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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: mate · game · coach · prune · leaves · date · rock · root

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. prune — to trim
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. root — the cause
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. prune — to trim
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. mate — a partner
  10. date — the fruit
  11. root — of a plant
  12. mate — to breed
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. game — wild animals
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. game — a match
  17. root — of a word
  18. mate — a friend
  19. rock — a stone
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. game — a kind of play

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