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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 120 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 ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. chair — a leader
  3. craft — boats
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. bulb — for light
  11. craft — a skill
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. pound — a weight
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. tube — a container
  17. root — the cause
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. bulb — for light
  21. root — of a plant
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. sharp — clever
  24. tube — the underground

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