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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 120 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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. root — the cause
  5. rush — hurry
  6. ground — the earth
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. root — of a plant
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. key — in music
  12. ground — crushed
  13. key — for a lock
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bear — the animal
  21. root — of a word
  22. key — the most important part
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. perch — the fish

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