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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 120 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 · shower · squash · season · root · rush · board · track

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. shower — rain
  4. root — of a plant
  5. squash — to crush
  6. bulb — for light
  7. root — of a word
  8. shower — to wash
  9. squash — the sport
  10. track — a path
  11. season — in sport
  12. track — a song
  13. bulb — for light
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. track — to keep track
  16. root — the cause
  17. board — a committee
  18. rush — hurry
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. season — of the year
  23. board — to get on
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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