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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 light ________________ burned out.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. suit — in cards
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. mug — to rob
  5. bark — to shout
  6. root — of a plant
  7. plane — a tool
  8. root — of a word
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. suit — clothes
  11. root — the cause
  12. suit — to fit
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. pitch — completely
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. bulb — for light
  17. kid — to tease
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. kid — child
  22. mug — a face
  23. mug — a cup
  24. bark — of a tree

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