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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 120 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: bulb · game · shower · foot · wax · season · chip · root

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. root — the cause
  3. game — wild animals
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. shower — to wash
  8. root — of a plant
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bulb — for light
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. foot — a measure
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. season — in sport
  17. game — a match
  18. shower — rain
  19. season — of the year
  20. wax — to grow
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. root — of a word
  23. chip — for betting
  24. chip — to eat

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