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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 light ________________ burned out.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. current — electric
  4. root — the cause
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. squash — to crush
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. squash — the sport
  9. root — of a plant
  10. degree — from a university
  11. game — a match
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. game — wild animals
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. bulb — for light
  16. degree — temperature
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. root — of a word
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. current — happening now
  22. degree — an amount
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. current — of water

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