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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.

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: fine · root · lash · bulb · mouse · court · land · field

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. land — ground
  4. root — of a plant
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. bulb — for light
  7. court — of law
  8. fine — high quality
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. fine — all right
  12. land — to come down
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. court — for sport
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. field — farmland
  18. root — of a word
  19. bulb — for light
  20. court — of a king
  21. field — a subject
  22. root — the cause
  23. field — for sport
  24. land — a country

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