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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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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: prune · root · field · bound · spring · craft · current · mark

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. field — farmland
  3. current — happening now
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. current — of water
  6. bound — tied together
  7. prune — to trim
  8. prune — to trim
  9. bound — obliged
  10. mark — a grade
  11. spring — of water
  12. root — of a plant
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. field — a subject
  15. current — electric
  16. field — for sport
  17. spring — the season
  18. craft — a skill
  19. root — the cause
  20. root — of a word
  21. bound — certain
  22. mark — a trace
  23. spring — a coil
  24. craft — boats

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