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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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 · spell · degree · root · snap · bat · mouse · land

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. spell — a short time
  3. root — the cause
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. bulb — for light
  6. spell — magic
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. land — ground
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. land — a country
  11. degree — temperature
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. root — of a plant
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. spell — letters
  17. degree — an amount
  18. degree — from a university
  19. bulb — for light
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. bat — the animal
  23. snap — to click
  24. root — of a word

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