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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. bat — the animal
  3. root — the cause
  4. root — of a word
  5. can — a tin
  6. club — a group
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. can — to be able to
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. ball — a dance
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. bulb — for light
  13. root — of a plant
  14. bulb — for light
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. club — for dancing
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. can — a tin
  21. club — for golf
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. ball — a round shape

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