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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 116 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: ground · face · lash · field · bowl · bear · root · pitcher

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. face — to confront
  3. field — farmland
  4. root — of a plant
  5. bear — the animal
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. ground — the earth
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. ground — crushed
  12. ground — a position
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. field — a subject
  15. root — the cause
  16. field — for sport
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. bear — the animal
  19. face — to point toward
  20. root — of a word
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. face — part of the head
  24. bowl — a football final

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