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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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. net — in sport
  3. root — of a plant
  4. root — of a word
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. net — for catching
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. root — the cause
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. spell — a short time
  13. bulb — for light
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. plane — a tool
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. wax — to grow
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. spell — letters
  23. spell — magic
  24. bulb — for light

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