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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: firm · staff · mark · calf · bulb · root · present · season

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  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. present — there
  2. staff — employees
  3. present — a gift
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bulb — for light
  6. firm — decided
  7. staff — employees
  8. root — of a word
  9. root — the cause
  10. season — of the year
  11. mark — a grade
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. firm — steady
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. season — in sport
  17. present — the time now
  18. root — of a plant
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. mark — a trace
  22. staff — a stick
  23. firm — a company
  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