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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 120 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 · spell · stick · bowl · mine · foot · kick · bulb

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. mine — for digging
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. bulb — for light
  8. root — of a word
  9. kick — in football
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. spell — letters
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. root — of a plant
  17. foot — a measure
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. root — the cause
  21. bulb — for light
  22. spell — a short time
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. spell — magic

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