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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. season — of the year
  6. root — the cause
  7. pop — to visit
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. root — of a word
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. root — of a plant
  16. pop — soda
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. pop — music
  19. season — in sport
  20. pit — a hole
  21. pit — in a race
  22. bulb — for light
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. racket — for tennis

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