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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. bulb — for light
  3. cell — a phone
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. cell — in biology
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. root — of a plant
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. root — the cause
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. ball — a great time
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. ground — a position
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. ball — a dance
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. ground — crushed
  22. ground — the earth
  23. fork — in a road
  24. racket — for tennis

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