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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: root · cabinet · object · net · drill · bay · prune · squash

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. prune — to trim
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. drill — a practice
  5. object — a thing
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. root — of a word
  8. object — an aim
  9. prune — to trim
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. squash — to crush
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. net — after costs
  14. net — for catching
  15. squash — the sport
  16. net — in sport
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. object — to protest
  19. root — the cause
  20. drill — army training
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. root — of a plant
  24. drill — the tool

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