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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.

Make a worksheet

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
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: net · lie · temple · root · racket · land · charge · bulb

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. root — of a word
  3. lie — to recline
  4. land — a country
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. land — ground
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. land — to come down
  10. charge — electricity
  11. bulb — for light
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. bulb — for light
  16. charge — a price
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. root — the cause
  19. net — for catching
  20. net — in sport
  21. net — after costs
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. charge — in control
  24. root — 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