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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. root — of a word
  5. prune — to trim
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. root — of a plant
  8. firm — decided
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. spring — the season
  11. spring — a coil
  12. prune — to trim
  13. root — the cause
  14. bat — the animal
  15. clip — a video
  16. clip — for paper
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. spring — of water
  20. firm — steady
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. firm — a company
  24. clip — to cut

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