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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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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: ground · plane · straw · can · leaves · field · root · bowl

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. root — of a word
  3. field — for sport
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. can — a tin
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. can — a tin
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. can — to be able to
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. ground — the earth
  16. plane — a tool
  17. ground — a position
  18. field — farmland
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. root — the cause
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. field — a subject
  23. root — of a plant
  24. ground — crushed

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