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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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468
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: ground · content · bass · fan · can · root · bulb · racket

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. can — a tin
  3. content — the amount
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. ground — a position
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. bass — low music
  9. content — happy
  10. bass — the fish
  11. root — of a plant
  12. bulb — for light
  13. root — of a word
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. root — the cause
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. ground — crushed
  20. bulb — for light
  21. can — to be able to
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. ground — the earth
  24. bulb — of a plant

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