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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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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: deal · prune · mine · object · cue · fine · root · stand

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. deal — to handle
  3. cue — a signal
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. root — of a plant
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. prune — to trim
  11. cue — a hint
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. root — of a word
  14. fine — all right
  15. stand — to bear
  16. root — the cause
  17. fine — high quality
  18. object — an aim
  19. cue — for pool
  20. mine — for digging
  21. object — a thing
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. prune — to trim

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