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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. scale — size or range
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. ground — the earth
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. bound — certain
  8. wind — moving air
  9. bound — tied together
  10. root — of a plant
  11. root — the cause
  12. track — a song
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. scale — in music
  15. track — a path
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. track — to keep track
  19. ground — a position
  20. root — of a word
  21. bear — the animal
  22. wind — moving air
  23. bound — obliged
  24. wave — of the sea

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