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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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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: root · spell · game · cell · dip · charge · cabinet · bulb

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. root — of a word
  3. game — a match
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. charge — in control
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. dip — to sink
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. charge — electricity
  12. cell — a phone
  13. cell — in biology
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. spell — a short time
  16. root — the cause
  17. spell — letters
  18. charge — a price
  19. root — of a plant
  20. bulb — for light
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. bulb — for light
  23. game — wild animals
  24. spell — magic

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