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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: wound · root · stick · bulb · ball · field · swing · pitcher

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. bulb — for light
  5. wound — an injury
  6. bulb — for light
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. swing — in golf
  9. field — farmland
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. ball — a dance
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. field — for sport
  14. ball — a great time
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. root — of a plant
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. root — the cause
  20. field — a subject
  21. swing — music
  22. root — of a word
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. swing — to play on

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