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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 120 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 train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. cell — a phone
  4. bore — to drill
  5. prune — to trim
  6. root — the cause
  7. root — of a plant
  8. bore — to tire
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. bear — the animal
  11. prune — to trim
  12. stand — to bear
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bulb — for light
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. stock — goods
  22. root — of a word
  23. stock — shares
  24. cell — in biology

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