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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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 word
  3. mug — to rob
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. pitch — completely
  11. mug — a cup
  12. bulb — for light
  13. root — of a plant
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. bulb — for light
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. root — the cause
  22. foot — a measure
  23. mug — a face
  24. pitch — a sports field

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