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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: bear · tube · foot · field · rash · root · ball · pass

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. pass — a permit
  3. ball — a dance
  4. ball — a great time
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. rash — a series
  7. root — of a plant
  8. tube — the underground
  9. bear — the animal
  10. tube — a container
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. rash — hasty
  13. field — for sport
  14. field — a subject
  15. foot — a measure
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. root — the cause
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. bear — the animal
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. field — farmland

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