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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: club · calf · mark · prune · rule · bass · safe · root

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. bass — low music
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. root — of a plant
  5. mark — a grade
  6. root — of a word
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. root — the cause
  9. rule — government
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. prune — to trim
  12. club — for golf
  13. rule — a law
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. mark — a trace
  18. bass — the fish
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. club — a group
  22. prune — to trim
  23. club — for dancing
  24. safe — out of danger

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