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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: mark · prune · root · saw · cap · fine · rock · bat

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. rock — music
  3. cap — of ice
  4. mark — a grade
  5. cap — a hat
  6. root — of a word
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. bat — the animal
  9. prune — to trim
  10. root — the cause
  11. fine — high quality
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. cap — a lid
  14. saw — the tool
  15. prune — to trim
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. root — of a plant
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. rock — a stone
  21. mark — a trace
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. saw — the tool
  24. bat — in an idiom

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