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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. root — of a plant
  4. rash — a series
  5. cap — of ice
  6. wake — a trail
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. root — of a word
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. stand — to bear
  14. rash — hasty
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. cap — a hat
  20. root — the cause
  21. date — the fruit
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bowl — to roll

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