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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 116 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 ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  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. bat — the animal
  2. ground — a position
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. branch — a division
  6. root — the cause
  7. root — of a word
  8. craft — a skill
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. root — of a plant
  13. craft — boats
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. firm — decided
  16. ground — crushed
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. firm — steady
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. firm — a company
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. branch — of a bank
  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