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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. ground — crushed
  3. roll — a list
  4. firm — a company
  5. roll — a cake
  6. present — a gift
  7. rest — a break
  8. root — of a word
  9. ground — a position
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. wake — a trail
  12. root — of a plant
  13. rest — what's left
  14. present — the time now
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. firm — steady
  17. rest — what's left
  18. present — there
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. ground — the earth
  22. fine — high quality
  23. firm — decided
  24. root — the cause

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