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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
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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: can · bulb · root · row · field · bass · spring · chest

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bass — low music
  4. row — a line
  5. spring — of water
  6. root — of a plant
  7. can — a tin
  8. bulb — for light
  9. field — farmland
  10. can — to be able to
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. root — the cause
  13. chest — of your body
  14. root — of a word
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. bass — the fish
  17. spring — the season
  18. chest — of your body
  19. field — for sport
  20. can — a tin
  21. spring — a coil
  22. field — a subject
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. chest — a box

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