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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 ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. bulb — for light
  3. root — of a plant
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. bulb — for light
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. object — a thing
  12. race — a contest
  13. root — the cause
  14. track — to keep track
  15. track — a song
  16. track — a path
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. object — an aim
  19. race — humankind
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. bear — the animal
  22. object — to protest
  23. race — the arms race
  24. bear — the animal

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