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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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. bulb — for light
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. root — the cause
  7. ground — the earth
  8. bulb — for light
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. foot — a measure
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. ground — a position
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. root — of a plant
  15. game — wild animals
  16. root — of a word
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. game — a match
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. ground — crushed
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. fan — a supporter

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