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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. pit — in a race
  3. root — of a word
  4. spring — a coil
  5. root — of a plant
  6. chair — a leader
  7. pit — a hole
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. bulb — for light
  12. root — the cause
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bear — the animal
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. ball — a great time
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. spring — of water
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. bulb — for light
  23. spring — the season
  24. wax — to grow

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