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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 120 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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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 · chip · present · prune · mouse · field · pit · calf

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. prune — to trim
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. pit — in a race
  6. field — a subject
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. field — for sport
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. present — a gift
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. root — of a plant
  13. root — of a word
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. present — the time now
  16. present — there
  17. field — farmland
  18. pit — a hole
  19. chip — to eat
  20. root — the cause
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. prune — to trim
  23. chip — for betting
  24. prune — the fruit

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