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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. ground — the earth
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. scale — in music
  6. root — of a plant
  7. ground — a position
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. bulb — for light
  10. current — electric
  11. root — the cause
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. scale — size or range
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. bulb — for light
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. root — of a word
  22. ground — crushed
  23. current — happening now
  24. current — of water

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