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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: root · land · cue · mouse · roll · bulb · court · bore

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. root — of a word
  3. bulb — for light
  4. root — of a plant
  5. court — for sport
  6. bulb — for light
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. roll — a cake
  9. cue — a hint
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. root — the cause
  12. court — of a king
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. land — ground
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. bore — to drill
  17. land — a country
  18. land — to come down
  19. bore — to tire
  20. court — of law
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. cue — for pool
  23. roll — a list
  24. cue — a signal

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