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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 ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. bulb — for light
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. club — for golf
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. wax — to grow
  8. prune — to trim
  9. rest — a break
  10. rest — what's left
  11. club — a group
  12. pit — a hole
  13. club — for dancing
  14. bulb — for light
  15. pit — in a race
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. prune — to trim
  20. root — the cause
  21. rest — what's left
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. root — of a plant

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