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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: root · pit · staff · pitcher · prune · deal · row · lie

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. lie — to recline
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. prune — to trim
  7. root — of a plant
  8. row — to paddle
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. pit — in a race
  11. staff — employees
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. root — of a word
  16. deal — to handle
  17. prune — to trim
  18. staff — a stick
  19. pit — a hole
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. staff — employees
  22. row — a line
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. root — the cause

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