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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. swing — music
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. ground — the earth
  6. root — of a plant
  7. root — the cause
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. ground — a position
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. scale — in music
  15. root — of a word
  16. swing — to play on
  17. scale — size or range
  18. prune — to trim
  19. row — to paddle
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. prune — to trim
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. row — a line
  24. swing — in golf

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