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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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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: trunk · deal · root · tube · wind · object · ground · mouse

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. object — an aim
  5. root — the cause
  6. ground — the earth
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. tube — the underground
  9. ground — a position
  10. object — to protest
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. wind — moving air
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. wind — moving air
  18. tube — a container
  19. object — a thing
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. root — of a plant
  22. deal — to handle
  23. root — of a word
  24. ground — crushed

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