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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: root · racket · degree · bulb · kick · toast · prune · rule

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. rule — a law
  6. prune — to trim
  7. rule — government
  8. root — the cause
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. toast — bread
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. root — of a plant
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. degree — from a university
  16. prune — to trim
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. degree — an amount
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. root — of a word
  22. kick — in football
  23. degree — temperature
  24. bulb — for light

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