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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. club — for golf
  3. ground — a position
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. root — of a plant
  6. can — to be able to
  7. root — of a word
  8. club — a group
  9. root — the cause
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. club — for dancing
  12. rest — what's left
  13. spring — of water
  14. rest — a break
  15. ground — the earth
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. spring — a coil
  18. spring — the season
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. rest — what's left
  21. can — a tin
  22. can — a tin
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. date — the fruit

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