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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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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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. root — of a plant
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. root — of a word
  6. stand — to bear
  7. bulb — for light
  8. ground — the earth
  9. bulb — for light
  10. roll — a list
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. pop — to visit
  13. ground — a position
  14. ground — crushed
  15. pop — music
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. root — the cause
  20. pop — soda
  21. roll — a cake
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. pound — a weight
  24. stand — on your feet

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