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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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. board — to get on
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. root — of a plant
  7. bulb — for light
  8. wind — moving air
  9. bulb — for light
  10. perch — the fish
  11. root — the cause
  12. field — farmland
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. bank — of a river
  16. board — a committee
  17. field — a subject
  18. root — of a word
  19. prune — to trim
  20. bank — for money
  21. bank — for money
  22. wind — moving air
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. prune — to trim

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