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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. bulb — for light
  3. root — the cause
  4. march — music
  5. root — of a plant
  6. ground — the earth
  7. ball — a dance
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. bulb — for light
  11. squash — the sport
  12. ground — crushed
  13. sharp — clever
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. march — the month
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. squash — to crush
  19. stem — to come from
  20. ball — a great time
  21. ground — a position
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. march — the month
  24. root — of a word

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