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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 train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. root — of a word
  3. wake — a trail
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. band — a ring
  9. band — a music group
  10. root — the cause
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. stand — to bear
  15. bulb — for light
  16. prune — to trim
  17. root — of a plant
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. bulb — for light
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. prune — to trim
  24. fan — a supporter

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