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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 120 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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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 · bay · deal · ruler · firm · last · land

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. ground — a position
  3. last — final
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. deal — to handle
  7. ground — crushed
  8. firm — steady
  9. root — of a plant
  10. land — a country
  11. ground — the earth
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. root — of a word
  15. land — ground
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. last — to go on
  18. root — the cause
  19. last — finally
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. firm — decided
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. firm — a company
  24. land — to come down

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