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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: leaves · root · date · wound · field · mug · pound · trunk

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. mug — to rob
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. root — of a plant
  6. field — for sport
  7. root — the cause
  8. field — farmland
  9. date — the fruit
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. wound — an injury
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. field — a subject
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. mug — a cup
  18. mug — a face
  19. pound — a weight
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. wound — an injury
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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