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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 · ground · date · root · lash · can · bowl · race

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. ground — the earth
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. can — a tin
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. date — the fruit
  7. race — humankind
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. can — a tin
  12. race — a contest
  13. root — the cause
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. prune — to trim
  16. race — the arms race
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. ground — a position
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. prune — to trim
  21. ground — crushed
  22. root — of a plant
  23. root — of a word
  24. bowl — a dish

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