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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 120 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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. bulb — for light
  3. plane — a tool
  4. spring — the season
  5. root — of a plant
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. root — the cause
  10. spring — of water
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. bulb — for light
  14. stock — shares
  15. vault — a safe
  16. spring — a coil
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. content — the amount
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. root — of a word
  22. stock — goods
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. content — happy

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