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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: spring · root · bear · bulb · can · bowl · date · content

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. bulb — for light
  6. root — the cause
  7. bear — the animal
  8. content — the amount
  9. date — the fruit
  10. root — of a word
  11. spring — a coil
  12. can — a tin
  13. content — happy
  14. can — a tin
  15. root — of a plant
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. spring — of water
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. spring — the season
  24. can — to be able to

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