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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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. object — a thing
  3. content — the amount
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. cap — a lid
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. root — the cause
  8. content — happy
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. object — to protest
  12. snap — to click
  13. scale — in music
  14. branch — a division
  15. bulb — for light
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. cap — of ice
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. cap — a hat
  22. root — of a word
  23. object — an aim
  24. scale — size or range

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