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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bowl · firm · can · root · mug · ground

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. ground — crushed
  3. firm — decided
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. mug — to rob
  7. can — to be able to
  8. ground — a position
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. firm — steady
  11. can — a tin
  12. root — the cause
  13. root — of a plant
  14. mug — a face
  15. root — of a word
  16. can — a tin
  17. ground — the earth
  18. firm — a company

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