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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. root — of a plant
  3. field — for sport
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. bulb — for light
  10. field — farmland
  11. root — of a word
  12. root — the cause
  13. field — a subject
  14. firm — steady
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. firm — decided
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. stand — to bear

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