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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: ruler · cell · prune · content · net · present · bear · root

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. net — after costs
  3. cell — a phone
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. prune — to trim
  6. root — of a word
  7. present — there
  8. root — of a plant
  9. net — in sport
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. content — the amount
  13. content — happy
  14. bear — the animal
  15. net — for catching
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. bear — the animal
  18. prune — to trim
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. present — the time now
  23. cell — in biology
  24. present — a gift

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