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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. scale — in music
  3. root — the cause
  4. content — the amount
  5. content — happy
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. season — in sport
  11. branch — a division
  12. game — a match
  13. bulb — for light
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. bulb — for light
  17. game — wild animals
  18. scale — size or range
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. root — of a plant
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. season — of the year
  24. content — videos and posts

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