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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. pop — music
  3. swing — music
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. mark — a trace
  6. root — of a plant
  7. craft — a skill
  8. pop — to visit
  9. cap — a hat
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. pop — soda
  12. swing — in golf
  13. mark — a grade
  14. root — of a word
  15. craft — boats
  16. root — the cause
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. bulb — for light
  19. cap — a lid
  20. swing — to play on
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. cap — of ice
  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