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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: shower · suit · degree · foot · stand · bulb · court · root

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. bulb — for light
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. foot — a measure
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. suit — to fit
  8. shower — rain
  9. degree — from a university
  10. stand — to bear
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. court — of a king
  13. court — for sport
  14. root — of a word
  15. shower — to wash
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. root — the cause
  18. degree — temperature
  19. bulb — for light
  20. root — of a plant
  21. suit — in cards
  22. suit — clothes
  23. court — of law
  24. degree — an amount

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