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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: date · root · bulb · trunk · pass · ground · bear · degree

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. root — the cause
  3. ground — the earth
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. degree — from a university
  8. ground — a position
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. bear — the animal
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. bulb — for light
  13. root — of a plant
  14. bear — the animal
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. root — of a word
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. pass — a permit
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. date — the fruit
  21. ground — crushed
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. degree — an amount
  24. degree — temperature

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