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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. root — of a word
  4. ground — crushed
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. bound — tied together
  7. ground — the earth
  8. bound — certain
  9. object — to protest
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. fine — all right
  13. deal — to handle
  14. sharp — clever
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. object — a thing
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. root — of a plant
  20. object — an aim
  21. bound — obliged
  22. ground — a position
  23. root — the cause
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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