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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
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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: cabinet · mug · kid · root · tube · mine · pop · prune

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. mug — a cup
  3. mug — to rob
  4. root — the cause
  5. prune — to trim
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. pop — to visit
  8. root — of a plant
  9. kid — child
  10. mug — a face
  11. mine — for digging
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. pop — soda
  15. tube — a container
  16. prune — to trim
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. tube — the underground
  19. kid — to tease
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. root — of a word
  24. mine — an explosive

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