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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. can — a tin
  5. spring — a coil
  6. mark — a grade
  7. spring — of water
  8. scale — size or range
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. bulb — for light
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. can — a tin
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. fine — high quality
  16. root — of a word
  17. can — to be able to
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. scale — in music
  20. fine — all right
  21. branch — a division
  22. spring — the season
  23. root — of a plant
  24. root — the cause

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