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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. pit — in a race
  3. cap — a lid
  4. cap — a hat
  5. cap — of ice
  6. content — the amount
  7. root — of a word
  8. row — to paddle
  9. row — a line
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. bulb — for light
  13. root — of a plant
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. shower — to wash
  16. deal — to handle
  17. root — the cause
  18. content — happy
  19. pit — a hole
  20. bulb — for light
  21. shower — rain
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. deal — an agreement

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