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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 120 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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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: prune · root · degree · can · vault · wax · chip · pit

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. pit — in a race
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. degree — an amount
  5. can — a tin
  6. chip — to eat
  7. can — a tin
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. degree — temperature
  11. can — to be able to
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. root — of a word
  14. pit — a hole
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. root — of a plant
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. wax — to grow
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. prune — to trim
  21. chip — for betting
  22. vault — a safe
  23. degree — from a university
  24. root — the cause

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