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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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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: bore · root · present · coach · track · spring · prune · chip

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. track — to keep track
  3. present — a gift
  4. root — the cause
  5. prune — to trim
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. chip — for betting
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. bore — to tire
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. prune — to trim
  13. present — the time now
  14. present — there
  15. spring — a coil
  16. spring — of water
  17. root — of a word
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. track — a song
  20. spring — the season
  21. bore — to drill
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. chip — to eat
  24. track — a path

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