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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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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: stand · ground · bowl · root · saw · plane · stick · kid

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. root — of a plant
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. ground — the earth
  7. ground — a position
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. root — the cause
  10. root — of a word
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. plane — a tool
  14. kid — to tease
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. kid — child
  20. saw — the tool
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. ground — crushed
  24. saw — the tool

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