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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: root · sharp · cap · mate · prune · clip · craft · toast

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. clip — a video
  4. craft — boats
  5. cap — of ice
  6. root — the cause
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. root — of a word
  9. craft — a skill
  10. prune — to trim
  11. prune — to trim
  12. clip — to cut
  13. cap — a lid
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. sharp — clever
  16. toast — bread
  17. mate — a friend
  18. root — of a plant
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. cap — a hat
  21. mate — to breed
  22. clip — for paper
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. toast — the most admired

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