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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 seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. charge — in control
  3. rash — hasty
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. pop — soda
  6. ball — a dance
  7. root — of a word
  8. ball — a great time
  9. pop — music
  10. rash — a series
  11. fork — in a road
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. root — of a plant
  14. charge — a price
  15. bulb — for light
  16. mine — for digging
  17. root — the cause
  18. bulb — for light
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. pop — to visit
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. charge — electricity

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