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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. bulb — for light
  3. root — the cause
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. foot — a measure
  8. deal — to handle
  9. spring — the season
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. root — of a word
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. root — of a plant
  14. spring — a coil
  15. court — of law
  16. bulb — for light
  17. date — the fruit
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. spring — of water
  21. court — for sport
  22. court — of a king
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. date — on the calendar

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