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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. root — of a plant
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. key — for a lock
  5. root — of a word
  6. chest — of your body
  7. charge — a price
  8. key — the most important part
  9. bulb — for light
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. game — wild animals
  12. perch — the fish
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. key — in music
  15. root — the cause
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. charge — in control
  18. chest — a box
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. game — a match
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. chest — of your body
  23. bulb — for light
  24. charge — electricity

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