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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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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 · capital · bear · trunk · firm · prune · jam · bank

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bank — of a river
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. firm — decided
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. root — of a word
  10. bank — for money
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. firm — a company
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. bear — the animal
  15. capital — money
  16. root — the cause
  17. root — of a plant
  18. capital — a city
  19. bank — for money
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. prune — to trim
  22. firm — steady
  23. prune — to trim
  24. capital — a big letter

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