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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: hand · land · bulb · prune · root · current · bowl · bear

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. current — of water
  4. land — a country
  5. current — electric
  6. hand — in cards
  7. root — the cause
  8. bear — the animal
  9. land — to come down
  10. land — ground
  11. prune — to trim
  12. current — happening now
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bulb — for light
  16. hand — help
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. prune — to trim
  19. root — of a word
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. root — of a plant
  24. bowl — to roll

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