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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. last — finally
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. last — final
  7. rash — a series
  8. field — a subject
  9. pound — a weight
  10. current — happening now
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. field — farmland
  13. current — electric
  14. bulb — for light
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. rash — hasty
  17. current — of water
  18. root — the cause
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. root — of a plant
  21. field — for sport
  22. root — of a word
  23. last — to go on
  24. coach — a trainer

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