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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 120 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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. root — the cause
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. track — a path
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bulb — for light
  8. root — of a word
  9. court — of a king
  10. court — for sport
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. court — of law
  14. face — to confront
  15. bear — the animal
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. face — to point toward
  18. root — of a plant
  19. bulb — for light
  20. track — to keep track
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. face — part of the head

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