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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. ground — the earth
  3. bound — obliged
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. bound — tied together
  6. fall — the season
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. deal — to handle
  9. ground — crushed
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. bound — certain
  15. sharp — clever
  16. fall — to drop
  17. ground — a position
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. root — the cause
  22. root — of a word
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. fall — to drop

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