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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. root — of a plant
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. root — the cause
  5. ground — a position
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. object — an aim
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. ground — the earth
  10. wound — an injury
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. mark — a trace
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. object — a thing
  15. ground — crushed
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. object — to protest
  18. wound — an injury
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. mark — a grade
  21. cap — a hat
  22. root — of a word
  23. cap — a lid
  24. cap — of ice

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