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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. root — of a word
  3. cue — a signal
  4. bulb — for light
  5. cue — for pool
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. root — the cause
  8. file — a document
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. current — happening now
  11. chest — of your body
  12. can — a tin
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. current — electric
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. cue — a hint
  17. file — a line of people
  18. root — of a plant
  19. chest — a box
  20. chest — of your body
  21. can — a tin
  22. current — of water
  23. file — a tool
  24. can — to be able to

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