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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. root — the cause
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. ground — the earth
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. mate — to breed
  8. root — of a word
  9. ground — crushed
  10. ground — a position
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. mate — a partner
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. root — of a plant
  17. kick — in football
  18. kick — a thrill

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