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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: present · land · prune · kick · bass · rock · root · mate

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. rock — a stone
  3. land — to come down
  4. mate — a friend
  5. land — a country
  6. present — there
  7. bass — the fish
  8. land — ground
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. prune — to trim
  11. present — the time now
  12. root — of a word
  13. bass — low music
  14. mate — a partner
  15. rock — music
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. prune — to trim
  19. mate — to breed
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. root — the cause
  22. present — a gift
  23. root — of a plant
  24. kick — in football

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