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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: bulb · prune · root · fan · date · fine · wake · track

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. root — of a plant
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. track — a path
  5. bulb — for light
  6. root — of a word
  7. track — a song
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. date — the fruit
  11. bulb — for light
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. wake — a trail
  15. fine — all right
  16. track — to keep track
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. root — the cause
  22. prune — to trim
  23. prune — to trim
  24. bulb — of a plant

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