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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: saw · root · prune · dip · cap · capital · fan · bay

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. cap — of ice
  5. root — of a word
  6. cap — a lid
  7. root — the cause
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. capital — money
  10. root — of a plant
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. saw — the tool
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. dip — to sink
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. cap — a hat
  20. capital — a city
  21. prune — to trim
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. saw — the tool
  24. fan — to cool the air

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