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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. root — of a word
  3. bulb — for light
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. ground — the earth
  7. ground — a position
  8. root — of a plant
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. ground — crushed
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. cue — a signal
  13. bulb — for light
  14. cue — for pool
  15. root — the cause
  16. cue — a hint
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. prune — to trim
  19. foot — a measure
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. prune — to trim
  22. mate — a friend
  23. mate — a partner
  24. mate — to breed

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