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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 116 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 light ________________ burned out.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. net — for catching
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. root — of a plant
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. deal — to handle
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. net — after costs
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. root — the cause
  14. root — of a word
  15. net — in sport
  16. game — a match
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. bulb — for light
  19. fork — in a road
  20. kick — in football
  21. game — wild animals
  22. plane — a tool
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. game — a kind of play

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