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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.

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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: pit · date · root · file · mark · pitcher · prune · wave

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. file — a document
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. root — of a plant
  5. prune — to trim
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. date — the fruit
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. mark — a grade
  10. file — a line of people
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. mark — a trace
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. pit — in a race
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. file — a tool
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. root — of a word
  23. root — the cause
  24. pit — a hole

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