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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rule · root · content · craft · bulb · spring · court · ground

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. content — the amount
  3. bulb — for light
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. spring — of water
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. root — of a plant
  8. ground — crushed
  9. ground — a position
  10. spring — a coil
  11. court — of law
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. spring — the season
  15. ground — the earth
  16. craft — boats
  17. root — of a word
  18. rule — government
  19. rule — a law
  20. bulb — for light
  21. court — for sport
  22. court — of a king
  23. content — happy
  24. craft — a skill

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