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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 120 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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. bulb — for light
  4. root — of a word
  5. sharp — clever
  6. kid — to tease
  7. root — the cause
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. bear — the animal
  10. scale — in music
  11. root — of a plant
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. mine — for digging
  16. bear — the animal
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. bulb — for light
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. kid — child
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. scale — size or range
  24. sharp — exactly

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