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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 120 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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. root — of a plant
  3. current — of water
  4. root — of a word
  5. pit — in a race
  6. current — happening now
  7. staff — employees
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. ball — a dance
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. prune — to trim
  13. current — electric
  14. bulb — for light
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. staff — employees
  17. bore — to drill
  18. ball — a great time
  19. bulb — for light
  20. root — the cause
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. pit — a hole
  23. bore — to tire
  24. prune — to trim

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