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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 ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. bore — to tire
  4. ground — crushed
  5. ground — a position
  6. row — a line
  7. bound — certain
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. row — to paddle
  11. root — of a plant
  12. rule — government
  13. rule — a law
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. bound — tied together
  16. season — of the year
  17. bore — to drill
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. season — in sport
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. root — the cause
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. root — of a word
  24. bound — obliged

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