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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. drill — a practice
  3. bass — low music
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. root — of a word
  6. wound — an injury
  7. ground — the earth
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. can — to be able to
  11. root — of a plant
  12. root — the cause
  13. bear — the animal
  14. ground — a position
  15. drill — army training
  16. bass — the fish
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. can — a tin
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. can — a tin
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. wound — an injury
  23. drill — the tool
  24. ground — crushed

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