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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. There's no middle ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. ground — a position
  3. fall — to drop
  4. hand — help
  5. cue — for pool
  6. charge — electricity
  7. root — the cause
  8. cue — a hint
  9. fall — the season
  10. ground — the earth
  11. root — of a word
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. root — of a plant
  14. charge — in control
  15. fall — to drop
  16. ball — a dance
  17. present — a gift
  18. cue — a signal
  19. present — there
  20. hand — in cards
  21. ball — a great time
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. charge — a price
  24. present — the time now

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