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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: swing · foot · tear · bowl · bear · bulb · stock · root

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. swing — in golf
  3. root — of a plant
  4. tear — from crying
  5. bulb — for light
  6. tear — to rip
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. swing — to play on
  9. swing — music
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. root — the cause
  13. stock — goods
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. tear — from crying
  17. stock — shares
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. foot — a measure
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. root — of a word
  24. bear — the animal

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