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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. cap — a hat
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. root — of a plant
  7. stock — shares
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. root — of a word
  10. root — the cause
  11. cap — a lid
  12. rock — music
  13. pass — a permit
  14. prune — to trim
  15. bulb — for light
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. wind — moving air
  18. cap — of ice
  19. prune — to trim
  20. bulb — for light
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. rock — a stone
  23. wind — moving air
  24. stock — goods

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