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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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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: field · root · ground · roll · straw · content · bulb · wake

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. ground — crushed
  3. root — the cause
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. bulb — for light
  6. content — happy
  7. roll — a list
  8. root — of a plant
  9. field — farmland
  10. ground — the earth
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. field — a subject
  16. root — of a word
  17. content — the amount
  18. wake — a trail
  19. field — for sport
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. ground — a position
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. roll — a cake

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