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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 120 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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. ground — the earth
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. mark — a grade
  6. ground — crushed
  7. root — of a plant
  8. present — the time now
  9. root — of a word
  10. present — there
  11. present — a gift
  12. root — the cause
  13. prune — to trim
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. prune — to trim
  17. ground — a position
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. key — the most important part
  20. key — in music
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. key — for a lock

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