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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 hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. wind — moving air
  3. root — the cause
  4. ground — the earth
  5. root — of a word
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. wind — moving air
  8. cap — a lid
  9. ground — a position
  10. tube — a container
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. root — of a plant
  14. cap — of ice
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. cap — a hat
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. tube — the underground
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. ground — crushed
  24. leaves — of a tree

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