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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: squash · band · date · bulb · cue · mug · root · land

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. mug — a cup
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. date — the fruit
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. mug — to rob
  7. bulb — for light
  8. land — to come down
  9. mug — a face
  10. squash — to crush
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. land — a country
  13. cue — a signal
  14. root — of a plant
  15. root — the cause
  16. bulb — for light
  17. land — ground
  18. cue — a hint
  19. squash — the sport
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. cue — for pool
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. band — a ring
  24. band — a music group

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