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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 116 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: suit · root · pitcher · track · prune · last · lash · cap

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. prune — to trim
  3. last — final
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. suit — to fit
  6. root — of a word
  7. track — to keep track
  8. root — of a plant
  9. suit — in cards
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. prune — to trim
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. last — finally
  15. cap — a lid
  16. suit — clothes
  17. track — a path
  18. cap — of ice
  19. cap — a hat
  20. last — to go on
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. root — the cause

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