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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: rule · present · root · suit · foot · wound · ground · fine

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. foot — a measure
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. wound — an injury
  5. rule — a law
  6. ground — crushed
  7. root — of a word
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. fine — high quality
  11. fine — all right
  12. wound — an injury
  13. suit — clothes
  14. suit — in cards
  15. root — of a plant
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. rule — government
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. present — there
  20. suit — to fit
  21. ground — the earth
  22. root — the cause
  23. present — a gift
  24. ground — a position

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