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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. tube — the underground
  3. ground — the earth
  4. tube — a container
  5. fine — all right
  6. root — of a plant
  7. chair — a leader
  8. field — farmland
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. capital — a city
  12. fine — high quality
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. capital — money
  15. root — the cause
  16. ground — a position
  17. saw — the tool
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. ground — crushed
  20. field — for sport
  21. root — of a word
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. field — a subject
  24. chair — a professorship

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