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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. chip — for betting
  3. root — of a word
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. root — the cause
  6. ground — a position
  7. capital — money
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. ground — the earth
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. pound — a weight
  12. capital — a city
  13. stand — to bear
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. squash — to crush
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. squash — the sport
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. chip — to eat
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. root — of a plant
  24. temple — side of the head

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