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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. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. root — of a plant
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. ground — crushed
  7. track — a path
  8. bat — the animal
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. cap — a lid
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. ground — a position
  13. track — a song
  14. root — the cause
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. cap — of ice
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. track — to keep track
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. root — of a word
  24. cap — a hat

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