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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. drill — a practice
  3. root — of a plant
  4. drill — army training
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bulb — for light
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. stem — to come from
  9. object — an aim
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. drill — the tool
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. rush — hurry
  14. kid — to tease
  15. kid — child
  16. object — a thing
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. bass — the fish
  19. object — to protest
  20. root — of a word
  21. root — the cause
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. bass — low music

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