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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. foot — a measure
  4. mug — to rob
  5. ground — the earth
  6. chip — to eat
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. root — of a word
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. mug — a face
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. ground — crushed
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. mug — a cup
  17. bark — to shout
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. root — of a plant
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. root — the cause
  24. chip — for betting

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