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

Word bank: rule · cell · root · deal · ground · dip

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. ground — crushed
  3. root — the cause
  4. deal — to handle
  5. rule — government
  6. ground — a position
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. cell — a phone
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. root — of a plant
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. ground — the earth
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. cell — in biology
  17. dip — to sink
  18. rule — a law

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