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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: pitcher · bulb · rest · root · rush · kid · cap · tear

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. tear — from crying
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. bulb — for light
  6. root — of a word
  7. cap — a hat
  8. kid — to tease
  9. tear — to rip
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. rest — what's left
  12. tear — from crying
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. cap — of ice
  15. rest — a break
  16. cap — a lid
  17. kid — child
  18. rush — hurry
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. root — of a plant
  23. bulb — for light
  24. rest — what's left

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