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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 ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. season — of the year
  3. race — a contest
  4. ground — a position
  5. race — humankind
  6. court — of a king
  7. race — the arms race
  8. root — of a word
  9. ground — crushed
  10. root — of a plant
  11. root — the cause
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. court — of law
  14. lean — to bend
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. lean — thin
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. court — for sport
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. season — in sport

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