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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: jam · land · root · saw · bore · date · rest · prune

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. bore — to drill
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. saw — the tool
  8. root — the cause
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. prune — to trim
  12. land — a country
  13. saw — the tool
  14. rest — what's left
  15. land — to come down
  16. prune — to trim
  17. land — ground
  18. rest — a break
  19. date — the fruit
  20. bore — to tire
  21. root — of a plant
  22. rest — what's left
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. root — of a word

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