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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. ground — crushed
  4. rash — hasty
  5. rule — a law
  6. root — of a word
  7. rule — government
  8. root — the cause
  9. spring — the season
  10. present — there
  11. spring — a coil
  12. chip — for betting
  13. present — the time now
  14. spell — magic
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. spell — a short time
  17. root — of a plant
  18. rash — a series
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. spell — letters
  21. present — a gift
  22. chip — to eat
  23. ground — a position
  24. spring — of water

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