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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 120 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 · prune · key · pitcher · sharp · stem · race · kick

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. root — of a plant
  7. race — the arms race
  8. race — humankind
  9. prune — to trim
  10. root — the cause
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. prune — to trim
  13. race — a contest
  14. stem — to come from
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. key — for a lock
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. key — in music
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. sharp — clever
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. key — the most important part
  23. kick — in football
  24. root — of a word

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