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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: bulb · net · wake · suit · sharp · root · content · racket

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. suit — to fit
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. net — in sport
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. wake — a trail
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. root — of a word
  10. bulb — for light
  11. root — the cause
  12. content — the amount
  13. sharp — clever
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. suit — clothes
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. root — of a plant
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. net — after costs
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. suit — in cards
  22. net — for catching
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. content — happy

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