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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
468
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: roll · fall · mate · ground · spell · ruler · game · root

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. fall — to drop
  4. fall — to drop
  5. ground — crushed
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. mate — a partner
  8. ground — a position
  9. fall — the season
  10. game — wild animals
  11. mate — to breed
  12. game — a match
  13. roll — a list
  14. root — the cause
  15. mate — a friend
  16. ground — the earth
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. roll — a cake
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. spell — magic
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. root — of a word
  23. spell — a short time
  24. root — of a plant

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