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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 was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. ball — a dance
  3. saw — the tool
  4. cell — in biology
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. root — of a word
  7. bear — the animal
  8. rock — a stone
  9. root — of a plant
  10. cell — a phone
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. rock — music
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. saw — the tool
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bulb — for light
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. bear — the animal
  19. root — the cause
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. cap — of ice
  22. cap — a lid
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. cap — a hat

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