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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. root — the cause
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bore — to tire
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. root — of a plant
  10. fall — to drop
  11. capital — a city
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. ground — the earth
  14. fall — to drop
  15. capital — money
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. game — a match
  18. ground — crushed
  19. fall — the season
  20. game — wild animals
  21. bore — to drill
  22. ground — a position
  23. root — of a word
  24. bulb — for light

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