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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. root — the cause
  3. ground — the earth
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. deal — to handle
  7. mug — a cup
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. foot — a measure
  10. capital — a city
  11. capital — money
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. ground — crushed
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. mug — to rob
  18. root — of a plant
  19. bulb — for light
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. bulb — for light
  22. root — of a word
  23. bark — to shout
  24. mug — a face

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