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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 light ________________ burned out.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. root — the cause
  6. fine — high quality
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. band — a music group
  9. band — a ring
  10. hand — help
  11. perch — the fish
  12. root — of a plant
  13. hand — in cards
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. stand — to bear
  20. root — of a word
  21. bulb — for light
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. fine — all right

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