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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. root — of a plant
  3. root — the cause
  4. hand — in cards
  5. bulb — for light
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. sharp — clever
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. fine — all right
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. hand — help
  16. root — of a word
  17. charge — in control
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. charge — electricity
  20. charge — a price
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. mine — for digging
  23. fine — high quality
  24. mine — belonging to me

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