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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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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: cabinet · safe · root · prune · arm · deal · row · ground

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. row — a line
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. ground — a position
  5. root — the cause
  6. ground — crushed
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. root — of a word
  9. prune — to trim
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. ground — the earth
  12. prune — to trim
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. row — to paddle
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. root — of a plant
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. deal — to handle
  24. row — a quarrel

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