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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. bass — the fish
  3. root — the cause
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. root — of a plant
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. pound — a weight
  14. bass — low music
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. bulb — for light
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. bulb — for light
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. root — of a word
  23. pitch — completely
  24. pound — for dogs

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