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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 116 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'll be taking the ________________.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. tear — to rip
  3. root — of a plant
  4. root — the cause
  5. court — of law
  6. tear — from crying
  7. lean — to bend
  8. tube — a container
  9. ground — crushed
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. court — for sport
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. fork — in a road
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. ground — a position
  18. root — of a word
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. tear — from crying
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. lean — thin
  23. ground — the earth
  24. court — of a king

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