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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. saw — the tool
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. saw — the tool
  7. court — of a king
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. bulb — for light
  11. court — of law
  12. root — of a word
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. deal — to handle
  15. root — the cause
  16. bat — the animal
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. root — of a plant
  19. court — for sport
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. pit — in a race
  23. pit — a hole
  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