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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 · root · object · content · wound · land · mate · pitch

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. object — to protest
  3. pitch — completely
  4. root — the cause
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. wound — an injury
  8. content — happy
  9. mate — to breed
  10. object — a thing
  11. root — of a word
  12. root — of a plant
  13. land — a country
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. object — an aim
  16. content — the amount
  17. bulb — for light
  18. mate — a partner
  19. land — to come down
  20. wound — an injury
  21. mate — a friend
  22. bulb — for light
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. land — ground

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