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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 ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. root — of a word
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. root — of a plant
  9. deal — to handle
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. root — the cause
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. prune — to trim
  16. ground — a position
  17. prune — to trim
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. ground — crushed
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. mine — for digging
  22. bat — the animal
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. ruler — a monarch

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