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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: net · season · sharp · arm · track · root · bulb · deal

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. track — a path
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. season — of the year
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. bulb — for light
  8. net — after costs
  9. root — of a plant
  10. track — to keep track
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. root — of a word
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. track — a song
  16. bulb — for light
  17. season — in sport
  18. deal — to handle
  19. root — the cause
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. net — in sport
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. sharp — clever
  24. bulb — of a plant

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