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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bulb · bear · scale · pass · foot · tear · pop · root

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. pop — to visit
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. tear — to rip
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. bear — the animal
  7. root — the cause
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. foot — a measure
  12. tear — from crying
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. bulb — for light
  15. root — of a word
  16. scale — in music
  17. pass — a permit
  18. bear — the animal
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. root — of a plant
  21. tear — from crying
  22. scale — size or range
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. pop — music

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