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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. root — the cause
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. deal — to handle
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. chair — a leader
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. bulb — for light
  10. rest — what's left
  11. root — of a word
  12. rest — a break
  13. ground — a position
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. bulb — for light
  17. mug — a cup
  18. root — of a plant
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. mine — for digging
  21. ground — crushed
  22. mug — to rob
  23. rest — what's left
  24. ground — the earth

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