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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 116 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 polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. cue — a hint
  7. bass — the fish
  8. cap — a hat
  9. game — wild animals
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bulb — for light
  13. game — a match
  14. cap — a lid
  15. craft — boats
  16. craft — a skill
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. bass — low music
  19. cue — a signal
  20. root — of a word
  21. root — the cause
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. cue — for pool
  24. root — of a plant

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