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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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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: chip · pass · court · root · present · bulb · foot · prune

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. court — for sport
  4. pass — a permit
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. chip — to eat
  7. present — a gift
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. prune — to trim
  11. chip — for betting
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. court — of law
  15. prune — to trim
  16. root — of a word
  17. root — of a plant
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. bulb — for light
  20. court — of a king
  21. bulb — for light
  22. present — there
  23. foot — a measure
  24. present — the time now

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