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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: squash · land · prune · mouse · last · perch · root · racket

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. prune — to trim
  4. last — to go on
  5. squash — the sport
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. squash — to crush
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. land — ground
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. land — a country
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. root — of a word
  15. prune — to trim
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. root — of a plant
  19. last — finally
  20. last — final
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. perch — the fish
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. land — to come down

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