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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 120 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 address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. rock — a stone
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. drill — army training
  7. drill — the tool
  8. rock — music
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. root — of a word
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. drill — a practice
  14. ground — a position
  15. bass — the fish
  16. bass — low music
  17. ground — crushed
  18. ground — the earth
  19. court — of a king
  20. saw — the tool
  21. root — of a plant
  22. court — of law
  23. court — for sport
  24. saw — the tool

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