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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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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: root · scale · leaves · fall · prune · date · kid · swing

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. scale — size or range
  4. kid — child
  5. swing — in golf
  6. root — the cause
  7. root — of a plant
  8. swing — to play on
  9. fall — to drop
  10. prune — to trim
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. fall — the season
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. root — of a word
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. fall — to drop
  18. swing — music
  19. prune — to trim
  20. date — the fruit
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. kid — to tease
  23. scale — in music
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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