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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.

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: rush · bulb · rest · court · root · land · date · fall

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. root — of a word
  3. bulb — for light
  4. fall — to drop
  5. date — the fruit
  6. rest — what's left
  7. land — to come down
  8. land — a country
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rush — hurry
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. court — for sport
  15. bulb — for light
  16. court — of law
  17. rest — a break
  18. root — the cause
  19. root — of a plant
  20. court — of a king
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. fall — the season
  23. fall — to drop
  24. land — ground

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