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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 · suit · bark · prune · racket · net · deal · date

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. prune — to trim
  4. net — after costs
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. prune — to trim
  8. suit — clothes
  9. root — of a word
  10. root — the cause
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. net — in sport
  15. date — the fruit
  16. bark — to shout
  17. net — for catching
  18. root — of a plant
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. deal — to handle
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. suit — to fit
  24. date — on the calendar

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