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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: root · mark · safe · squash · racket · bulb · leaves · cold

  1. The water is too ________________.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. mark — a grade
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. bulb — for light
  7. cold — an illness
  8. root — of a plant
  9. squash — the sport
  10. squash — to crush
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. mark — a trace
  19. bulb — for light
  20. root — the cause
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. root — of a word

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