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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. root — of a plant
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. bulb — for light
  7. rash — a series
  8. root — the cause
  9. vault — a safe
  10. kid — to tease
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. rash — hasty
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. branch — a division
  16. root — of a word
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. row — a line
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. row — to paddle
  23. kid — child
  24. pitch — completely

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