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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: root · ground · tear · present · game · can · craft · rash

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. tear — from crying
  3. ground — crushed
  4. rash — a series
  5. rash — hasty
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. present — the time now
  8. game — wild animals
  9. present — there
  10. root — the cause
  11. tear — from crying
  12. can — to be able to
  13. can — a tin
  14. ground — the earth
  15. game — a match
  16. present — a gift
  17. craft — a skill
  18. ground — a position
  19. can — a tin
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. root — of a plant
  22. craft — boats
  23. tear — to rip
  24. game — a kind of play

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