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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.

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: sharp · scale · trunk · pop · kid · root · mate · object

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. kid — child
  5. mate — to breed
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. scale — in music
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. root — of a word
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. root — the cause
  12. kid — to tease
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. object — a thing
  15. object — to protest
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. scale — size or range
  18. mate — a friend
  19. pop — to visit
  20. sharp — clever
  21. pop — music
  22. mate — a partner
  23. object — an aim
  24. root — of a plant

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