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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 116 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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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: bear · rest · file · root · squash · cap · prune · chip

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  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. cap — of ice
  2. file — a tool
  3. root — of a plant
  4. root — the cause
  5. rest — what's left
  6. bear — the animal
  7. chip — for betting
  8. rest — a break
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. rest — what's left
  11. cap — a lid
  12. root — of a word
  13. file — a document
  14. bear — the animal
  15. prune — to trim
  16. prune — to trim
  17. cap — a hat
  18. squash — to crush
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. chip — to eat
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. squash — the sport
  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