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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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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: prune · rock · bore · root · firm · current · face · march

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. face — part of the head
  3. prune — to trim
  4. current — electric
  5. firm — steady
  6. root — of a plant
  7. current — happening now
  8. face — to confront
  9. rock — music
  10. march — the month
  11. march — the month
  12. march — music
  13. bore — to tire
  14. firm — decided
  15. root — the cause
  16. prune — to trim
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. firm — a company
  19. rock — a stone
  20. root — of a word
  21. current — of water
  22. bore — to drill
  23. face — to point toward
  24. prune — the fruit

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