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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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. season — of the year
  4. bound — obliged
  5. lean — to bend
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. bound — tied together
  8. band — a music group
  9. root — the cause
  10. pound — a weight
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. root — of a word
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bound — certain
  17. lean — thin
  18. season — in sport
  19. band — a ring
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. jam — in traffic

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