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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: rush · content · toast · bulb · swing · arm · root · date

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. bulb — for light
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. toast — bread
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. root — of a word
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. content — happy
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. content — the amount
  15. swing — music
  16. root — the cause
  17. swing — in golf
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. date — the fruit
  20. rush — hurry
  21. swing — to play on
  22. bulb — for light
  23. root — of a plant
  24. arm — part of the body

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