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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. last — to go on
  3. root — of a word
  4. court — for sport
  5. bulb — for light
  6. club — a group
  7. club — for dancing
  8. club — for golf
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. lean — thin
  11. root — the cause
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. court — of a king
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. root — of a plant
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. row — to paddle
  18. court — of law
  19. lean — to bend
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. row — a line
  23. last — final
  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