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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: root · sharp · pop · prune · content · bark · lean · key

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. key — the most important part
  5. prune — to trim
  6. lean — thin
  7. sharp — clever
  8. pop — soda
  9. pop — music
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. bark — to shout
  13. root — of a plant
  14. prune — to trim
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. content — the amount
  18. key — in music
  19. lean — to bend
  20. pop — to visit
  21. content — happy
  22. key — for a lock
  23. root — the cause
  24. bark — of a tree

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