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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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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: bay · field · prune · root · trunk · fan · cap · pit

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. field — for sport
  6. cap — a hat
  7. root — of a word
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. pit — in a race
  12. cap — a lid
  13. pit — a hole
  14. root — of a plant
  15. field — farmland
  16. cap — of ice
  17. prune — to trim
  18. field — a subject
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. prune — to trim
  24. fan — to cool the air

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