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

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. bulb — for light
  4. root — of a word
  5. bulb — for light
  6. game — wild animals
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. game — a match
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. bark — to shout
  15. roll — a cake
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. roll — a list
  18. root — of a plant

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