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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 116 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 ________________ went through the wall.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. root — the cause
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. firm — a company
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. spring — of water
  7. ground — the earth
  8. squash — to crush
  9. spring — a coil
  10. root — of a word
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. root — of a plant
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. ground — crushed
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. firm — decided
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. spring — the season
  19. ground — a position
  20. squash — the sport
  21. bat — the animal
  22. firm — steady
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. nail — for a hammer

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