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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. root — of a plant
  3. cue — a hint
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. file — a line of people
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. mine — for digging
  9. scale — size or range
  10. bear — the animal
  11. file — a tool
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. cue — for pool
  14. root — the cause
  15. bulb — for light
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. cue — a signal
  18. game — wild animals
  19. game — a match
  20. root — of a word
  21. bulb — for light
  22. scale — in music
  23. bear — the animal
  24. file — a document

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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