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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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. mug — a face
  3. mug — a cup
  4. bulb — for light
  5. root — the cause
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. root — of a word
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. object — a thing
  10. net — for catching
  11. root — of a plant
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. object — to protest
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. net — after costs
  17. bulb — for light
  18. mug — to rob
  19. object — an aim
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. plane — a tool
  24. trunk — of a tree

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