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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: field · firm · date · rush · bulb · pitch · wax · root

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. root — of a word
  3. bulb — for light
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. firm — decided
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. root — the cause
  8. wax — to grow
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. firm — a company
  11. root — of a plant
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. bulb — for light
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. date — the fruit
  16. field — farmland
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. rush — hurry
  21. firm — steady
  22. field — for sport
  23. pitch — completely
  24. field — a subject

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