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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: swing · deal · bulb · bear · game · root · pitcher · charge

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. charge — electricity
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. game — a match
  7. charge — in control
  8. swing — to play on
  9. deal — to handle
  10. swing — music
  11. bulb — for light
  12. root — of a plant
  13. charge — a price
  14. root — of a word
  15. bear — the animal
  16. swing — in golf
  17. game — wild animals
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. root — the cause
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bear — the animal
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. pitcher — a jug

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