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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. bulb — for light
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. root — of a plant
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. root — of a word
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. track — a path
  9. rash — a series
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. track — a song
  12. face — to point toward
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. face — to confront
  15. scale — size or range
  16. face — part of the head
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. root — the cause
  19. rash — hasty
  20. bulb — for light
  21. track — to keep track
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. scale — in music
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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