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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.

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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. bulb — for light
  3. root — of a plant
  4. drill — army training
  5. drill — the tool
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. root — the cause
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. mug — a face
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. bulb — for light
  14. clip — to cut
  15. fork — in a road
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. drill — a practice
  18. mug — to rob
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. root — of a word
  22. clip — for paper
  23. clip — a video
  24. mug — a cup

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