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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: rest · pit · bulb · racket · cold · mate · nail · root

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. cold — an illness
  3. root — the cause
  4. rest — a break
  5. mate — a friend
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. pit — a hole
  8. bulb — for light
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. mate — to breed
  12. rest — what's left
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. mate — a partner
  16. root — of a plant
  17. rest — what's left
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. bulb — for light
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. root — of a word
  23. cold — not warm
  24. bulb — of a plant

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