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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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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: can · root · last · ground · chair · deal · temple · bark

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. can — a tin
  4. root — of a plant
  5. last — final
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. ground — crushed
  9. root — the cause
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. can — to be able to
  12. root — of a word
  13. last — to go on
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. chair — a leader
  18. ground — a position
  19. bark — to shout
  20. deal — to handle
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. ground — the earth
  24. can — a tin

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