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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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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: wax · roll · ground · root · land · stick · bowl · toast

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. roll — a list
  3. land — ground
  4. ground — crushed
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. ground — the earth
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. land — to come down
  11. root — of a plant
  12. land — a country
  13. root — the cause
  14. ground — a position
  15. wax — to grow
  16. roll — a cake
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. toast — bread
  24. bowl — a dish

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