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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. hand — in cards
  3. root — of a word
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. root — of a plant
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. bulb — for light
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. hand — help
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. root — the cause
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. game — a match
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. bulb — for light
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. ruler — a monarch

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