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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bulb · stick · saw · chest · root · pit

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. root — of a word
  4. chest — a box
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. chest — of your body
  7. pit — in a race
  8. root — the cause
  9. root — of a plant
  10. chest — of your body
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. saw — the tool
  14. saw — the tool
  15. bulb — for light
  16. pit — a hole
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. stick — to attach or keep to

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