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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 116 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: ruler · racket · firm · root · ground · file · shower · bear

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. firm — decided
  3. ground — the earth
  4. root — the cause
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. shower — rain
  7. root — of a word
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. root — of a plant
  10. firm — a company
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. bear — the animal
  13. file — a document
  14. shower — to wash
  15. bear — the animal
  16. file — a tool
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. firm — steady
  20. ground — crushed
  21. file — a line of people
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  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