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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. root — of a plant
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bulb — for light
  6. board — to get on
  7. last — to go on
  8. last — final
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. root — the cause
  11. pop — music
  12. mine — for digging
  13. scale — in music
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. scale — size or range
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. root — of a word
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. pop — soda
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. last — finally
  23. pop — to visit
  24. board — a committee

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