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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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. can — a tin
  3. dip — to sink
  4. fork — in a road
  5. root — of a word
  6. can — to be able to
  7. squash — to crush
  8. bulb — for light
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. snap — to click
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. bulb — for light
  14. squash — the sport
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. net — in sport
  19. net — after costs
  20. root — the cause
  21. can — a tin
  22. net — for catching
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. bulb — of a plant

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