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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 116 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: bulb · wave · root · ground · capital · staff · bowl · scale

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. ground — a position
  6. staff — employees
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. root — of a plant
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. bulb — for light
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. root — of a word
  13. scale — in music
  14. bulb — for light
  15. capital — a city
  16. staff — a stick
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. capital — money
  19. scale — size or range
  20. staff — employees
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. ground — crushed
  23. ground — the earth
  24. root — the cause

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