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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 120 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: pitcher · root · chair · ruler · pit · wake · bat · prune

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. root — of a plant
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. root — the cause
  5. bat — the animal
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. chair — a leader
  8. wake — a trail
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. prune — to trim
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. root — of a word
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. prune — to trim
  16. pit — a hole
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. pit — in a race
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. wake — before a funeral

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