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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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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: pitcher · mark · leaves · spring · root · scale · mate · bulb

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. mark — a grade
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. bulb — for light
  11. root — of a word
  12. spring — the season
  13. spring — of water
  14. mate — a friend
  15. mate — a partner
  16. root — the cause
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. mark — a trace
  19. root — of a plant
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. scale — in music
  22. spring — a coil
  23. mate — to breed
  24. scale — size or range

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