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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. root — of a word
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. saw — the tool
  5. firm — a company
  6. scale — in music
  7. firm — steady
  8. saw — the tool
  9. root — of a plant
  10. ground — the earth
  11. field — a subject
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. root — the cause
  14. scale — size or range
  15. content — the amount
  16. field — farmland
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. field — for sport
  19. content — happy
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. wound — an injury
  22. ground — a position
  23. firm — decided
  24. wound — an injury

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