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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bear · scale · band · root · wound · bay · fine · bulb

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. scale — in music
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. wound — an injury
  9. fine — high quality
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. band — a ring
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. root — the cause
  14. bear — the animal
  15. wound — an injury
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. scale — size or range
  19. band — a music group
  20. fine — all right
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. bear — the animal
  23. root — of a word
  24. root — 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