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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 116 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.

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: bulb · bowl · cue · spell · object · content · root · bear

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. content — happy
  3. object — an aim
  4. cue — for pool
  5. spell — magic
  6. bear — the animal
  7. spell — letters
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. root — the cause
  12. object — to protest
  13. root — of a word
  14. root — of a plant
  15. cue — a hint
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bear — the animal
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. object — a thing
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. content — the amount
  22. spell — a short time
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. bowl — to roll

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