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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. ground — the earth
  3. deal — to handle
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. root — of a plant
  6. ground — crushed
  7. root — the cause
  8. mine — for digging
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. ground — a position
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. bass — low music
  13. prune — to trim
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. perch — the fish
  21. prune — to trim
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. bass — the fish
  24. root — of a word

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