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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 120 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 need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. deal — to handle
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. root — of a word
  6. ground — the earth
  7. root — the cause
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. ground — a position
  11. board — to get on
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. wax — to grow
  14. root — of a plant
  15. board — a committee
  16. ground — crushed
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. squash — to crush
  19. stock — goods
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bear — the animal
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. stock — shares
  24. squash — the sport

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