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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 ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. board — a committee
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. ball — a dance
  6. bulb — for light
  7. pit — in a race
  8. rush — hurry
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. pit — a hole
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. ball — a great time
  14. branch — a division
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. root — the cause
  18. mark — a grade
  19. root — of a plant
  20. board — to get on
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. mark — a trace
  24. bulb — for light

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