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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. land — ground
  4. can — to be able to
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. cue — a hint
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bass — the fish
  9. land — a country
  10. bass — low music
  11. bulb — for light
  12. can — a tin
  13. root — the cause
  14. can — a tin
  15. ground — the earth
  16. ground — crushed
  17. cue — for pool
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. root — of a plant
  20. land — to come down
  21. cue — a signal
  22. mine — for digging
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. root — of a word

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