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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 like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. toast — bread
  3. drill — a practice
  4. drill — the tool
  5. scale — in music
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bound — tied together
  9. drill — army training
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. bound — obliged
  15. rash — hasty
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. rash — a series
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. root — the cause
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bound — certain
  23. root — of a plant
  24. scale — size or range

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