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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.

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: bear · prune · land · mine · straw · bass · root · cue

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. mine — for digging
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. land — ground
  7. land — to come down
  8. cue — a signal
  9. bear — the animal
  10. root — the cause
  11. cue — a hint
  12. bear — the animal
  13. root — of a plant
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. bass — the fish
  16. bass — low music
  17. prune — to trim
  18. land — a country
  19. root — of a word
  20. cue — for pool
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. prune — to trim
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. straw — dry grass

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