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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: temple · mug · season · bulb · root · capital · pass · scale

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  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. bulb — of a plant
  2. scale — size or range
  3. capital — money
  4. root — of a plant
  5. season — of the year
  6. capital — a city
  7. root — the cause
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. mug — to rob
  10. root — of a word
  11. mug — a cup
  12. scale — in music
  13. pass — a permit
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. season — in sport
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. bulb — for light
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. mug — a face
  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