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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: staff · chip · date · root · prune · key · pitcher · ruler

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. key — the most important part
  3. prune — to trim
  4. prune — to trim
  5. key — in music
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. chip — to eat
  8. date — the fruit
  9. staff — employees
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. staff — employees
  12. root — of a word
  13. root — the cause
  14. chip — for betting
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. root — of a plant
  22. key — for a lock
  23. staff — a stick
  24. ruler — for measuring

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