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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
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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: craft · fine · prune · net · drill · root · leaves · racket

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. root — the cause
  3. net — after costs
  4. root — of a plant
  5. drill — army training
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. prune — to trim
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. craft — boats
  14. fine — all right
  15. craft — a skill
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. fine — high quality
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. net — in sport
  21. drill — a practice
  22. drill — the tool
  23. net — for catching
  24. root — of a word

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