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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: face · squash · prune · current · arm · root · pop · racket

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. squash — to crush
  3. prune — to trim
  4. face — part of the head
  5. face — to confront
  6. root — of a plant
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. pop — to visit
  10. face — to point toward
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. prune — to trim
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. pop — music
  17. current — electric
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. current — of water
  20. root — of a word
  21. squash — the sport
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. root — the cause
  24. current — happening now

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