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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: land · stem · root · game · drill · firm · charge · bulb

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. charge — a price
  3. charge — electricity
  4. game — wild animals
  5. drill — a practice
  6. firm — decided
  7. stem — to come from
  8. root — of a plant
  9. land — a country
  10. root — the cause
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. drill — army training
  13. drill — the tool
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. game — a match
  17. firm — a company
  18. firm — steady
  19. root — of a word
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bulb — for light
  23. land — ground
  24. charge — in control

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