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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: season · rash · straw · bulb · root · pitch · fall · content

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. root — of a plant
  3. season — of the year
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. pitch — completely
  6. rash — hasty
  7. season — in sport
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. root — the cause
  10. fall — the season
  11. fall — to drop
  12. bulb — for light
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. root — of a word
  15. rash — a series
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. content — happy
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. fall — to drop
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. bulb — for light

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