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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: clip · root · bulb · saw · bank · jam · sharp · ground

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. saw — the tool
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bank — for money
  6. clip — a video
  7. bank — for money
  8. ground — the earth
  9. clip — to cut
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bank — of a river
  12. root — the cause
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. ground — a position
  15. clip — for paper
  16. sharp — clever
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. ground — crushed
  19. root — of a word
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. root — of a plant
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. saw — the tool
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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