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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. file — a line of people
  4. root — the cause
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. root — of a word
  7. net — after costs
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. wound — an injury
  11. net — in sport
  12. file — a document
  13. net — for catching
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. root — of a plant
  16. wound — an injury
  17. file — a tool
  18. spring — the season
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. ground — the earth
  21. spring — of water
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. spring — a coil
  24. ground — a position

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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