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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: kid · wound · bear · root · bulb · pit · scale · stand

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. root — the cause
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. pit — in a race
  8. wound — an injury
  9. root — of a plant
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. bear — the animal
  12. scale — in music
  13. kid — to tease
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. bulb — for light
  16. stand — to bear
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. scale — size or range
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. root — of a word
  22. pit — a hole
  23. wound — an injury
  24. bear — the animal

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