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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.

Make a worksheet

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: bark · suit · leaves · root · prune · bass · content · cue

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. bass — the fish
  3. root — of a plant
  4. cue — a hint
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. root — the cause
  7. suit — in cards
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. bass — low music
  10. content — the amount
  11. root — of a word
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. prune — to trim
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. suit — clothes
  16. content — happy
  17. bark — to shout
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. suit — to fit
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. cue — a signal
  23. cue — for pool
  24. leaves — to go away

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