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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. ground — a position
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. tube — a container
  5. ground — the earth
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. rash — a series
  8. staff — employees
  9. suit — in cards
  10. root — of a plant
  11. court — for sport
  12. staff — a stick
  13. tube — the underground
  14. root — of a word
  15. root — the cause
  16. suit — to fit
  17. branch — a division
  18. suit — clothes
  19. staff — employees
  20. court — of a king
  21. ground — crushed
  22. court — of law
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. branch — 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