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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: scale · nail · dip · bulb · field · chair · tear · root

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. scale — size or range
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. field — for sport
  5. tear — from crying
  6. root — of a plant
  7. tear — to rip
  8. bulb — for light
  9. dip — to sink
  10. field — a subject
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. chair — a leader
  13. root — the cause
  14. root — of a word
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. bulb — for light
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. tear — from crying
  21. field — farmland
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. scale — in music
  24. dip — to dunk

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