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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 ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. ground — a position
  4. kick — in football
  5. mark — a trace
  6. game — a match
  7. mark — a grade
  8. ground — the earth
  9. spell — a short time
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. root — of a word
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. pit — a hole
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. ground — crushed
  17. root — the cause
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. game — wild animals
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. spell — magic
  23. pit — in a race
  24. spell — letters

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