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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.

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: bat · cue · mine · calf · root · track · bulb · snap

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. track — a song
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. cue — for pool
  6. root — of a plant
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. bulb — for light
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. root — of a word
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. track — a path
  14. cue — a signal
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. bat — the animal
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. root — the cause
  20. bulb — for light
  21. cue — a hint
  22. mine — for digging
  23. snap — to click
  24. bat — for baseball

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