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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: content · file · root · roll · mine · pound · mark · bulb

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. bulb — for light
  3. content — happy
  4. content — the amount
  5. mark — a trace
  6. root — the cause
  7. root — of a plant
  8. mark — a grade
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. file — a line of people
  11. bulb — for light
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. file — a document
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. pound — a weight
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. mine — for digging
  21. root — of a word
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. file — a tool
  24. roll — a cake

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