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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: file · pit · prune · shower · patient · root · mine · roll

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. root — the cause
  3. prune — to trim
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. roll — a list
  6. pit — in a race
  7. file — a line of people
  8. shower — rain
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. prune — to trim
  11. mine — for digging
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. file — a tool
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. pit — a hole
  17. root — of a plant
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. roll — a cake
  20. root — of a word
  21. shower — to wash
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. prune — the fruit

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