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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: sharp · file · root · roll · cap · hand · season · ground

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. ground — crushed
  4. ground — a position
  5. cap — a hat
  6. hand — in cards
  7. file — a line of people
  8. root — the cause
  9. root — of a plant
  10. roll — a cake
  11. sharp — clever
  12. file — a tool
  13. cap — of ice
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. root — of a word
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. file — a document
  18. cap — a lid
  19. hand — help
  20. season — in sport
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. roll — a list
  23. ground — the earth
  24. sharp — with an edge

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