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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. root — of a word
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. capital — a city
  7. bark — to shout
  8. capital — money
  9. cue — a hint
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. bulb — for light
  13. spring — a coil
  14. root — the cause
  15. spring — of water
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. cue — a signal
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. spring — the season
  21. root — of a plant
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. cue — for pool

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