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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: racket · stem · craft · dip · prune · capital · mug · root

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. mug — a face
  3. prune — to trim
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. craft — a skill
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. stem — to come from
  9. prune — to trim
  10. root — the cause
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. root — of a plant
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. dip — to sink
  15. root — of a word
  16. mug — to rob
  17. capital — a city
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. capital — money
  20. mug — a cup
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. craft — boats

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