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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  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. bulb — of a plant
  2. mate — a partner
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. cue — a signal
  6. bass — the fish
  7. bass — low music
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. mate — to breed
  10. root — of a word
  11. bulb — for light
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. ground — crushed
  14. ground — the earth
  15. root — the cause
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. ground — a position
  18. cue — for pool
  19. mate — a friend
  20. bulb — for light
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. cue — a hint
  23. hide — animal skin
  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