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

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  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 — of a plant
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. root — the cause
  4. root — of a word
  5. bank — of a river
  6. bank — for money
  7. chip — for betting
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. board — a committee
  10. content — the amount
  11. cold — an illness
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bulb — for light
  14. pass — a permit
  15. bank — for money
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. cold — not warm
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. content — happy
  22. board — to get on
  23. chip — to eat
  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