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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 120 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: mark · root · capital · bulb · calf · board · bear · wind

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. bear — the animal
  3. mark — a grade
  4. bulb — for light
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bear — the animal
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. root — of a plant
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. capital — a city
  14. wind — moving air
  15. capital — money
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. root — of a word
  18. root — the cause
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. wind — moving air
  22. mark — a trace
  23. board — a committee
  24. bulb — of a plant

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