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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. wind — moving air
  5. wound — an injury
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. content — happy
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. root — of a plant
  11. bulb — for light
  12. content — the amount
  13. ball — a great time
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. wind — moving air
  17. root — the cause
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. ball — a dance
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. wound — an injury
  22. bulb — for light
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. jam — a tight spot

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