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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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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: rest · root · foot · prune · mark · sharp · racket · bay

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. prune — to trim
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. rest — what's left
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. mark — a grade
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. foot — a measure
  13. root — of a word
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. rest — a break
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. root — the cause
  18. mark — a trace
  19. sharp — clever
  20. rest — what's left
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. prune — to trim
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. racket — for tennis

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