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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 ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. spring — of water
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. root — the cause
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. net — after costs
  10. net — in sport
  11. spring — a coil
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. bulb — for light
  14. root — of a plant
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. net — for catching
  19. bulb — for light
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. spring — the season
  22. bass — the fish
  23. bass — low music
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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