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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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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 · bay · prune · swing · shower · rest · fork · bulb

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. root — the cause
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. root — of a word
  8. prune — to trim
  9. bulb — for light
  10. shower — rain
  11. swing — in golf
  12. rest — what's left
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. swing — to play on
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. rest — a break
  17. rest — what's left
  18. shower — to wash
  19. root — of a plant
  20. prune — to trim
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. fork — in a road
  24. swing — music

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