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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 · squash · cue · charge · bulb · row · scale · bass

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. charge — a price
  3. row — a line
  4. squash — the sport
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. root — of a plant
  7. cue — a hint
  8. charge — in control
  9. charge — electricity
  10. root — the cause
  11. row — to paddle
  12. squash — to crush
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. cue — for pool
  15. cue — a signal
  16. scale — in music
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. bass — the fish
  19. scale — size or range
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bass — low music
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. root — of a word
  24. bass — the instrument

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