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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: race · bat · pitcher · ruler · root · season · foot · prune

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. prune — to trim
  4. foot — a measure
  5. prune — to trim
  6. race — humankind
  7. root — of a plant
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. race — the arms race
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. season — in sport
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. root — of a word
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. season — of the year
  21. bat — the animal
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. race — a contest
  24. ruler — for measuring

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