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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: ground · root · ruler · pound · net · spring · mouse · capital

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. root — the cause
  5. spring — a coil
  6. capital — a city
  7. root — of a plant
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. net — after costs
  10. spring — of water
  11. net — for catching
  12. ground — a position
  13. spring — the season
  14. ground — crushed
  15. ground — the earth
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. pound — a weight
  18. root — of a word
  19. net — in sport
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. capital — money
  24. mouse — the animal

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