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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 ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. root — of a word
  4. ground — a position
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. ground — crushed
  7. cell — a phone
  8. club — a group
  9. ground — the earth
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. hand — help
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. cell — in biology
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. club — for dancing
  19. club — for golf
  20. fork — in a road
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. root — the cause
  24. hand — in cards

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