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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. bulb — for light
  3. prune — to trim
  4. root — of a word
  5. firm — decided
  6. firm — steady
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. charge — in control
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. bulb — for light
  13. charge — electricity
  14. band — a music group
  15. capital — money
  16. firm — a company
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. capital — a city
  20. root — the cause
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. root — of a plant
  23. band — a ring
  24. charge — a price

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