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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: content · spring · mine · fine · row · foot · roll · bulb

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. spring — the season
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. bulb — for light
  5. roll — a cake
  6. bulb — for light
  7. spring — of water
  8. roll — a list
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. fine — high quality
  12. mine — for digging
  13. row — to paddle
  14. row — a line
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. fine — all right
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. content — the amount
  21. spring — a coil
  22. content — happy
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. foot — a measure

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