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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: march · wound · track · root · perch · stand · bear · bulb

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. root — of a plant
  4. perch — the fish
  5. root — the cause
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. bear — the animal
  8. track — to keep track
  9. track — a path
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. bear — the animal
  12. wound — an injury
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. root — of a word
  17. march — music
  18. wound — an injury
  19. stand — to bear
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. march — the month
  22. bulb — for light
  23. track — a song
  24. march — the month

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