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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. foot — a measure
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. key — in music
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. ground — a position
  7. bear — the animal
  8. root — of a plant
  9. root — the cause
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. root — of a word
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. key — for a lock
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. ground — the earth
  21. key — the most important part
  22. bear — the animal
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. wax — to grow

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