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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: degree · fork · bulb · ground · clip · root · bowl · current

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. ground — the earth
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. current — happening now
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. degree — temperature
  10. current — of water
  11. clip — to cut
  12. ground — crushed
  13. clip — for paper
  14. root — of a word
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. root — of a plant
  17. degree — from a university
  18. ground — a position
  19. root — the cause
  20. clip — a video
  21. bulb — for light
  22. current — electric
  23. degree — an amount
  24. fork — a garden tool

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