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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 light ________________ burned out.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bear — the animal
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. pit — in a race
  5. root — the cause
  6. pit — a hole
  7. content — the amount
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. root — of a word
  11. bulb — for light
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. root — of a plant
  15. content — happy
  16. file — a document
  17. stem — to come from
  18. file — a line of people
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. file — a tool
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. stem — a stem cell

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