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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: bank · cell · charge · lean · game · capital · bulb · root

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. lean — thin
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. cell — a phone
  5. root — of a word
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bank — of a river
  9. lean — to bend
  10. bulb — for light
  11. root — the cause
  12. game — a match
  13. charge — in control
  14. bank — for money
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. game — wild animals
  19. root — of a plant
  20. cell — in biology
  21. charge — a price
  22. capital — money
  23. capital — a city
  24. charge — electricity

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