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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. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. root — of a word
  6. roll — a cake
  7. root — of a plant
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. cue — for pool
  11. charge — electricity
  12. band — a music group
  13. roll — a list
  14. ground — the earth
  15. ground — crushed
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. root — the cause
  18. charge — a price
  19. cue — a hint
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. cue — a signal
  23. band — a ring
  24. charge — in control

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