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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. chair — a leader
  3. sharp — clever
  4. root — of a plant
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. can — a tin
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. face — to point toward
  11. face — to confront
  12. ground — a position
  13. root — of a word
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. can — a tin
  17. face — part of the head
  18. root — the cause
  19. ground — crushed
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. can — to be able to
  23. ground — the earth
  24. chair — to sit on

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