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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: dip · root · safe · net · land · prune · cue · bear

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. net — for catching
  4. land — a country
  5. land — to come down
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. root — the cause
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. cue — a signal
  11. root — of a word
  12. cue — for pool
  13. prune — to trim
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. land — ground
  16. bear — the animal
  17. net — in sport
  18. dip — to sink
  19. root — of a plant
  20. cue — a hint
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. bear — the animal
  24. net — after costs

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