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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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. ground — the earth
  3. sharp — clever
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. ground — crushed
  7. fork — in a road
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. root — the cause
  10. root — of a word
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. can — a tin
  13. can — to be able to
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. root — of a plant
  18. wax — to grow
  19. firm — a company
  20. firm — steady
  21. can — a tin
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. firm — decided
  24. ground — a position

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