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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: court · bass · bulb · cell · root · spring · bound · squash

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. court — of a king
  3. bound — obliged
  4. squash — to crush
  5. bass — the fish
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. spring — of water
  8. spring — the season
  9. root — of a word
  10. root — the cause
  11. bass — low music
  12. spring — a coil
  13. bulb — for light
  14. squash — the sport
  15. root — of a plant
  16. cell — in biology
  17. court — of law
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. court — for sport
  20. bound — tied together
  21. bound — certain
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. bulb — for light

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