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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 bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. net — for catching
  3. bore — to tire
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. root — of a word
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. net — in sport
  9. drill — army training
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bat — the animal
  12. bore — to drill
  13. drill — the tool
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. fine — high quality
  17. net — after costs
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. fine — all right
  20. root — of a plant
  21. drill — a practice
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. bulb — for light
  24. root — the cause

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