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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. bear — the animal
  5. root — the cause
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. root — of a plant
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. bear — the animal
  11. root — of a word
  12. craft — boats
  13. ground — crushed
  14. ground — a position
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. craft — a skill
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. stem — to come from
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. bowl — to roll

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