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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  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. bulb — of a plant
  2. squash — to crush
  3. bound — obliged
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. bulb — for light
  7. root — of a plant
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. bound — certain
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. court — for sport
  12. pit — a hole
  13. court — of law
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. bat — the animal
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. squash — the sport
  18. root — of a word
  19. pit — in a race
  20. bulb — for light
  21. court — of a king
  22. bound — tied together
  23. bat — for baseball
  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