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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. root — of a word
  4. bark — to shout
  5. object — a thing
  6. land — ground
  7. root — of a plant
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. land — a country
  11. object — to protest
  12. chip — to eat
  13. land — to come down
  14. ground — the earth
  15. object — an aim
  16. ground — a position
  17. pass — a permit
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. ground — crushed
  20. chip — for betting
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. pass — to spend time

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