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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. root — of a plant
  3. root — the cause
  4. squash — to crush
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. squash — the sport
  7. bulb — for light
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. root — of a word
  10. tear — to rip
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. tear — from crying
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. tear — from crying
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. game — wild animals
  18. branch — a division
  19. game — a match
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. bulb — for light
  24. racket — a loud noise

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