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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: chair · ground · bore · cue · content · root · bulb · coach

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. cue — a signal
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. ground — a position
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bore — to drill
  8. cue — for pool
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. bulb — for light
  11. content — happy
  12. chair — a leader
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. cue — a hint
  16. ground — crushed
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. root — of a word
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. root — the cause
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. bore — to tire
  23. root — of a plant
  24. ground — the earth

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