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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. bulb — for light
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. club — for golf
  5. prune — to trim
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. mark — a grade
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. root — the cause
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. root — of a plant
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. club — for dancing
  15. club — a group
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. bulb — for light
  18. root — of a word
  19. hand — help
  20. hand — in cards
  21. prune — to trim
  22. pass — a permit
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. mark — a trace

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