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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. firm — steady
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. bulb — for light
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. club — a group
  8. dip — to sink
  9. club — for golf
  10. root — of a plant
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. club — for dancing
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. bulb — for light
  16. kid — child
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. pitch — completely
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. firm — decided
  22. root — of a word
  23. root — the cause
  24. kid — to tease

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