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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. root — the cause
  3. lean — thin
  4. ground — a position
  5. root — of a word
  6. object — to protest
  7. object — a thing
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. bark — to shout
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. root — of a plant
  13. ground — the earth
  14. present — there
  15. lean — to bend
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. ball — a dance
  18. present — the time now
  19. ball — a great time
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. present — a gift
  22. foot — a measure
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. ground — crushed

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