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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: present · root · row · mine · prune · calf · pit · wax

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. root — the cause
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. pit — in a race
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. present — there
  8. root — of a word
  9. present — a gift
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. mine — for digging
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. root — of a plant
  15. pit — a hole
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. row — to paddle
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. wax — to grow
  22. present — the time now
  23. prune — to trim
  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