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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. rush — hurry
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. root — of a word
  6. ground — crushed
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. current — happening now
  9. mark — a grade
  10. band — a music group
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. root — the cause
  16. mark — a trace
  17. current — of water
  18. band — a ring
  19. ground — a position
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. current — electric
  22. bat — the animal
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. root — of a plant

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