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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 do anything ________________.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. root — of a word
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. net — in sport
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. prune — to trim
  7. net — after costs
  8. content — the amount
  9. rash — a series
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. suit — clothes
  13. root — of a plant
  14. suit — to fit
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. net — for catching
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. prune — to trim
  20. bulb — for light
  21. root — the cause
  22. bulb — for light
  23. content — happy
  24. suit — in cards

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