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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: wake · stick · root · bulb · bound · pitcher · cap · ruler

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. cap — a lid
  3. cap — of ice
  4. bound — obliged
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. bound — certain
  7. wake — a trail
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. root — of a plant
  11. bulb — for light
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. root — of a word
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. cap — a hat
  19. root — the cause
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. bulb — for light
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. bound — tied together
  24. ruler — a monarch

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