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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 ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. root — the cause
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. bulb — for light
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. file — a document
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. pitch — completely
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. bound — tied together
  14. root — of a plant
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. craft — a skill
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. bulb — for light
  19. file — a line of people
  20. craft — boats
  21. file — a tool
  22. bound — obliged
  23. bound — certain
  24. ruler — for measuring

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