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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: root · bowl · mark · ground · bulb · date · firm · branch

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. root — the cause
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. root — of a word
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. branch — a division
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. ground — a position
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. root — of a plant
  11. ground — the earth
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. date — the fruit
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. bulb — for light
  16. mark — a trace
  17. bulb — for light
  18. firm — decided
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. ground — crushed
  21. firm — steady
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. firm — a company
  24. mark — a grade

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