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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 116 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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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: firm · suit · racket · club · tear · prune · wake · root

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. root — of a word
  3. suit — in cards
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. prune — to trim
  6. prune — to trim
  7. suit — to fit
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. suit — clothes
  10. tear — from crying
  11. wake — a trail
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. firm — decided
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. firm — a company
  16. root — of a plant
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. tear — from crying
  20. tear — to rip
  21. club — for golf
  22. root — the cause
  23. club — a group
  24. firm — steady

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