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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: calf · cue · bass · hide · root · mark · net · prune

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. root — of a word
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. prune — to trim
  5. prune — to trim
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. root — the cause
  9. net — after costs
  10. mark — a trace
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. bass — low music
  13. net — for catching
  14. cue — a signal
  15. bass — the fish
  16. cue — a hint
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. net — in sport
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. cue — for pool
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. root — of a plant

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