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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.

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: march · fan · root · pit · pitcher · mouse · ground · bear

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. root — the cause
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. march — the month
  10. march — the month
  11. ground — a position
  12. bear — the animal
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. bear — the animal
  16. pit — in a race
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pit — a hole
  19. ground — crushed
  20. root — of a word
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. march — music
  23. root — of a plant
  24. fan — to cool the air

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