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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 116 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: bay · chip · prune · root · race · squash · stem · calf

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. root — the cause
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. race — humankind
  5. prune — to trim
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. squash — the sport
  8. race — the arms race
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. root — of a word
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. prune — to trim
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. root — of a plant
  19. race — a contest
  20. stem — to come from
  21. chip — to eat
  22. chip — for betting
  23. squash — to crush
  24. calf — of the leg

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