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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 · deal · prune · object · foot · ruler · chest · kid

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  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. prune — the fruit
  2. root — of a word
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. object — to protest
  6. chest — a box
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. chest — of your body
  9. kid — child
  10. kid — to tease
  11. root — the cause
  12. object — a thing
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. deal — to handle
  17. foot — a measure
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. root — of a plant
  20. prune — to trim
  21. chest — of your body
  22. prune — to trim
  23. object — an aim
  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