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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.

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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: spring · board · root · chip · club · bulb

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. club — for dancing
  3. spring — the season
  4. board — to get on
  5. chip — for betting
  6. bulb — for light
  7. club — for golf
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. bulb — for light
  10. board — a committee
  11. root — of a plant
  12. root — of a word
  13. spring — of water
  14. club — a group
  15. chip — to eat
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. spring — a coil
  18. root — the cause

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