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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. charge — in control
  4. land — a country
  5. charge — a price
  6. rash — hasty
  7. bulb — for light
  8. land — ground
  9. root — of a plant
  10. land — to come down
  11. root — of a word
  12. bulb — for light
  13. object — to protest
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. charge — electricity
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. object — an aim
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. saw — the tool
  20. saw — the tool
  21. perch — the fish
  22. object — a thing
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. rash — a series

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