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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: tube · mark · trunk · ball · bore · prune · root · file

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. tube — a container
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. tube — the underground
  5. file — a tool
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. prune — to trim
  9. mark — a trace
  10. mark — a grade
  11. root — the cause
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. root — of a plant
  14. bore — to tire
  15. file — a document
  16. bore — to drill
  17. prune — to trim
  18. ball — a great time
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. root — of a word
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. file — a line of people

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