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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. bound — obliged
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. lean — thin
  5. ground — the earth
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. ground — a position
  8. ground — crushed
  9. bound — tied together
  10. file — a tool
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. bound — certain
  13. file — a document
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. file — a line of people
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. toast — bread
  19. root — of a plant
  20. date — the fruit
  21. lean — to bend
  22. root — of a word
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. toast — the most admired

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