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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. root — the cause
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. bass — low music
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. root — of a plant
  7. ground — the earth
  8. charge — in control
  9. tear — from crying
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. root — of a word
  12. mine — for digging
  13. charge — electricity
  14. bass — the fish
  15. row — a line
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. ground — a position
  18. tear — to rip
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. row — to paddle
  23. charge — a price
  24. tear — from crying

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