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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. root — of a plant
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. root — of a word
  6. vault — a safe
  7. dip — to sink
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. stock — goods
  12. ground — crushed
  13. sharp — clever
  14. cue — a signal
  15. stock — shares
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. cue — a hint
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. root — the cause
  23. cue — for pool
  24. ground — the earth

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