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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: mouse · bulb · nail · stock · root · pound · ruler · cold

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. bulb — for light
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. stock — goods
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. cold — not warm
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. root — of a word
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. root — the cause
  13. root — of a plant
  14. stock — shares
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. bulb — for light
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. cold — an illness
  24. pound — a weight

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