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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 · capital · stick · foot · snap · bore · root · toast

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. toast — bread
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. bore — to drill
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. snap — to click
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. capital — a city
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bulb — for light
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. root — of a word
  14. bore — to tire
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. root — the cause
  18. foot — a measure
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. root — of a plant
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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