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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 120 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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. mate — a friend
  3. ground — the earth
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. deal — to handle
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. root — of a word
  8. mark — a trace
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. bore — to tire
  11. mate — to breed
  12. ground — a position
  13. root — of a plant
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. root — the cause
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. tube — the underground
  18. mate — a partner
  19. mark — a grade
  20. rush — hurry
  21. tube — a container
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. bore — to drill

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