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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 116 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: ground · row · root · bulb · mark · stand · track · squash

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. bulb — for light
  4. squash — to crush
  5. squash — the sport
  6. root — of a plant
  7. track — to keep track
  8. track — a song
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. row — a line
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. ground — a position
  14. stand — to bear
  15. mark — a trace
  16. row — to paddle
  17. mark — a grade
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. ground — crushed
  21. root — the cause
  22. ground — the earth
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. root — of a word

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