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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. ground — a position
  4. row — a line
  5. root — the cause
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. ground — crushed
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. tube — the underground
  14. row — to paddle
  15. root — of a word
  16. root — of a plant
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. stand — to bear
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. tube — a container
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. wax — to grow
  24. stand — for spectators

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