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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 a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. swing — music
  3. bulb — for light
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. bulb — for light
  8. root — the cause
  9. swing — to play on
  10. drill — the tool
  11. drill — a practice
  12. kick — in football
  13. suit — clothes
  14. hand — help
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. suit — in cards
  17. drill — army training
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. hand — in cards
  20. suit — to fit
  21. date — the fruit
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. root — of a word
  24. swing — in golf

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