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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: root · stand · date · bowl · kid · firm · wax · field

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. field — farmland
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. field — for sport
  8. root — the cause
  9. stand — to bear
  10. firm — decided
  11. root — of a word
  12. root — of a plant
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. field — a subject
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. firm — a company
  17. kid — to tease
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. kid — child
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. wax — to grow
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. date — the fruit

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