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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. present — there
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. root — the cause
  7. pound — a weight
  8. foot — a measure
  9. ground — a position
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. ground — crushed
  12. clip — a video
  13. root — of a plant
  14. craft — a skill
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. root — of a word
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. clip — to cut
  19. craft — boats
  20. clip — for paper
  21. present — a gift
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. present — the time now
  24. foot — part of the body

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