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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 116 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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. root — the cause
  3. swing — in golf
  4. swing — music
  5. drill — army training
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. root — of a word
  8. band — a ring
  9. drill — a practice
  10. court — for sport
  11. drill — the tool
  12. band — a music group
  13. ground — a position
  14. court — of a king
  15. root — of a plant
  16. court — of law
  17. mark — a grade
  18. cell — a phone
  19. mark — a trace
  20. swing — to play on
  21. ground — crushed
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. cell — in biology

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