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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: ruler · club · bulb · season · wax · mate · bear · root

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. root — of a word
  3. season — of the year
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. season — in sport
  6. club — for dancing
  7. bulb — for light
  8. root — of a plant
  9. mate — to breed
  10. bear — the animal
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. wax — to grow
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. bulb — for light
  16. club — for golf
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. root — the cause
  20. mate — a partner
  21. mate — a friend
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. bear — the animal
  24. ruler — a monarch

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