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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 116 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
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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: ball · firm · mouse · prune · deal · root · press · land

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. deal — to handle
  4. root — the cause
  5. root — of a word
  6. firm — a company
  7. prune — to trim
  8. land — a country
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. land — ground
  11. ball — a great time
  12. press — to push
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. prune — to trim
  15. firm — steady
  16. root — of a plant
  17. press — a publisher
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. ball — a dance
  20. land — to come down
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. press — newspapers
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. deal — an agreement

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