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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: cap · prune · ball · root · nail · track · jam · bear

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. ball — a great time
  3. root — of a word
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. track — to keep track
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. root — the cause
  8. track — a song
  9. bear — the animal
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. cap — a hat
  12. track — a path
  13. ball — a dance
  14. prune — to trim
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. root — of a plant
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. bear — the animal
  20. cap — of ice
  21. prune — to trim
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. cap — a lid
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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