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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. root — of a word
  3. degree — temperature
  4. drill — army training
  5. degree — an amount
  6. ground — the earth
  7. drill — a practice
  8. cue — a signal
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. degree — from a university
  11. ground — a position
  12. drill — the tool
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. ground — crushed
  16. cue — for pool
  17. cue — a hint
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. root — of a plant
  20. root — the cause
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bulb — for light

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