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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.

Make a worksheet

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
YesNo
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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: lean · mine · lash · root · racket · pitcher · ball · prune

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. lean — thin
  4. ball — a great time
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. prune — to trim
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. root — the cause
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. root — of a word
  17. root — of a plant
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. prune — to trim
  22. mine — for digging
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. ball — a dance

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