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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: rash · lie · march · prune · chest · root · ground · field

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. ground — crushed
  4. chest — of your body
  5. root — of a plant
  6. chest — a box
  7. march — the month
  8. prune — to trim
  9. field — a subject
  10. rash — hasty
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. rash — a series
  13. root — of a word
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lie — to recline
  16. ground — a position
  17. prune — to trim
  18. field — for sport
  19. field — farmland
  20. chest — of your body
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. march — music
  23. root — the cause
  24. march — the month

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