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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. ground — crushed
  3. root — of a plant
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. drill — the tool
  6. ground — a position
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. rock — a stone
  9. root — of a word
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. saw — the tool
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. date — the fruit
  15. root — the cause
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. ground — the earth
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. drill — a practice
  22. drill — army training
  23. rock — music
  24. bowl — a dish

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