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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.

Words on the sheet
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: toast · mark · leaves · spell · bowl · root · net · land

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. spell — magic
  4. root — of a word
  5. root — the cause
  6. spell — a short time
  7. spell — letters
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. land — ground
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. root — of a plant
  13. toast — bread
  14. net — in sport
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. land — a country
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. mark — a grade
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. net — after costs
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. net — for catching
  24. land — to come down

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