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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. root — of a plant
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. ground — a position
  5. can — a tin
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. clip — a video
  8. ground — the earth
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. band — a ring
  11. deal — to handle
  12. root — the cause
  13. rock — music
  14. root — of a word
  15. can — to be able to
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. clip — to cut
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. can — a tin
  22. rock — a stone
  23. clip — for paper
  24. band — a music group

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