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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. root — of a word
  4. wake — a trail
  5. tear — to rip
  6. bulb — for light
  7. tear — from crying
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. root — of a plant
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. root — the cause
  12. saw — the tool
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. bulb — for light
  15. tube — a container
  16. stock — shares
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. saw — the tool
  19. tube — the underground
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. tear — from crying
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. stock — goods

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