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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 116 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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. chair — a leader
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. track — to keep track
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. key — for a lock
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. rush — hurry
  10. can — a tin
  11. track — a path
  12. lean — to bend
  13. lean — thin
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. key — in music
  16. root — of a plant
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. root — the cause
  19. can — a tin
  20. key — the most important part
  21. bulb — for light
  22. can — to be able to
  23. track — a song
  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