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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 hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. scale — in music
  3. root — of a word
  4. mug — to rob
  5. spring — a coil
  6. root — of a plant
  7. mug — a face
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. mug — a cup
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. scale — size or range
  14. pit — in a race
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. bulb — for light
  17. pit — a hole
  18. stand — to bear
  19. bulb — for light
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. spring — the season
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. root — the cause

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