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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 were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. root — of a word
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bank — for money
  5. ground — the earth
  6. prune — to trim
  7. spell — a short time
  8. spell — letters
  9. bank — of a river
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. root — the cause
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. bank — for money
  15. bulb — for light
  16. root — of a plant
  17. ground — crushed
  18. prune — to trim
  19. kid — to tease
  20. spell — magic
  21. rock — music
  22. kid — child
  23. ground — a position
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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