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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. rock — a stone
  3. march — the month
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. ball — a great time
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. key — for a lock
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bulb — for light
  10. wake — a trail
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. key — the most important part
  13. ball — a dance
  14. row — to paddle
  15. root — the cause
  16. key — in music
  17. root — of a word
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. march — the month
  20. march — music
  21. row — a line
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. rock — music
  24. root — of a plant

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