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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.

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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: suit · last · ground · root · bulb · pit · rest · nail

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. last — to go on
  3. rest — what's left
  4. last — final
  5. suit — clothes
  6. suit — to fit
  7. rest — a break
  8. ground — crushed
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. root — of a plant
  11. rest — what's left
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bulb — for light
  14. root — of a word
  15. last — finally
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. root — the cause
  19. suit — in cards
  20. pit — in a race
  21. ground — a position
  22. pit — a hole
  23. ground — the earth
  24. nail — for a hammer

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