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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: root · net · jam · swing · bat · calf · prune · mouse

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. prune — to trim
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. bat — the animal
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. root — of a plant
  11. net — in sport
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. net — after costs
  14. root — of a word
  15. net — for catching
  16. prune — to trim
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. root — the cause
  20. swing — in golf
  21. swing — music
  22. swing — to play on
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. mouse — for a computer

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