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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. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. bulb — for light
  3. mark — a trace
  4. root — of a word
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. bulb — for light
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. charge — a price
  9. degree — from a university
  10. root — of a plant
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. charge — in control
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. degree — an amount
  15. degree — temperature
  16. deal — to handle
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. charge — electricity
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. root — the cause
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. mark — a grade

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