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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: bulb · nail · content · march · root · charge · mark · bass

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. bass — the fish
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. mark — a grade
  5. content — happy
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. content — the amount
  8. march — music
  9. root — the cause
  10. march — the month
  11. charge — electricity
  12. bulb — for light
  13. mark — a trace
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. root — of a plant
  16. charge — a price
  17. march — the month
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bass — low music
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. root — of a word
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. charge — in control
  24. nail — on a finger

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