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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: bay · root · craft · prune · present · cap · spring · season

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. root — of a word
  4. prune — to trim
  5. craft — boats
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. present — there
  8. season — in sport
  9. present — a gift
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. craft — a skill
  13. spring — a coil
  14. present — the time now
  15. cap — a lid
  16. spring — the season
  17. season — of the year
  18. root — the cause
  19. prune — to trim
  20. spring — of water
  21. root — of a plant
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. cap — of ice

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