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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 116 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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. root — of a plant
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. root — the cause
  6. bulb — for light
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. root — of a word
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. last — final
  14. cue — for pool
  15. cue — a hint
  16. last — to go on
  17. shower — to wash
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. shower — rain
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. cue — a signal
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. last — finally

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