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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: prune · root · pass · saw · roll · court · cabinet · track

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. roll — a list
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. saw — the tool
  5. saw — the tool
  6. court — of a king
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. root — of a word
  9. prune — to trim
  10. root — the cause
  11. pass — a permit
  12. root — of a plant
  13. roll — a cake
  14. prune — to trim
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. track — to keep track
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. court — of law
  23. track — a path
  24. track — a song

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