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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: craft · root · plane · field · bulb · stem · fine · wind

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. bulb — for light
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. wind — moving air
  6. craft — a skill
  7. fine — high quality
  8. root — of a plant
  9. field — farmland
  10. root — of a word
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. wind — moving air
  13. field — a subject
  14. craft — boats
  15. fine — all right
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. plane — a tool
  19. stem — to come from
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. bulb — for light
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. root — the cause

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