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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. present — a gift
  3. ground — a position
  4. wake — a trail
  5. court — for sport
  6. ground — the earth
  7. court — of law
  8. pit — a hole
  9. pit — in a race
  10. face — part of the head
  11. track — a song
  12. court — of a king
  13. present — the time now
  14. face — to confront
  15. track — to keep track
  16. face — to point toward
  17. track — a path
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. root — of a word
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. root — of a plant
  22. present — there
  23. root — the cause
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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