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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: mine · season · coach · squash · bulb · bound · root · mouse

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. root — of a plant
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bound — obliged
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. bound — certain
  10. root — the cause
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. bound — tied together
  13. squash — the sport
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. mine — for digging
  19. season — in sport
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. season — of the year
  22. root — of a word
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. squash — to crush

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