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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: mug · field · drill · prune · straw · root · jam · trunk

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. field — a subject
  3. field — farmland
  4. prune — to trim
  5. prune — to trim
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. root — of a plant
  10. field — for sport
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. mug — a cup
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. mug — a face
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. drill — the tool
  18. drill — a practice
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. drill — army training
  21. mug — to rob
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. root — of a word

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