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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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. wound — an injury
  4. bear — the animal
  5. scale — in music
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. ground — the earth
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. cell — in biology
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. scale — size or range
  12. cell — a phone
  13. ground — crushed
  14. kid — to tease
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. pitch — completely
  17. ground — a position
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. bear — the animal
  20. wound — an injury
  21. kid — child
  22. root — of a word
  23. root — the cause
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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