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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.

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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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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: stick · land · prune · race · deal · shower · root · tube

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. tube — a container
  3. race — the arms race
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. land — a country
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. shower — rain
  9. root — of a plant
  10. race — a contest
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. root — of a word
  13. deal — to handle
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. prune — to trim
  18. root — the cause
  19. race — humankind
  20. land — ground
  21. shower — to wash
  22. tube — the underground
  23. prune — to trim
  24. prune — the fruit

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