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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 · pitcher · tube · staff · tear · chip · jam · root

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. root — the cause
  4. tear — to rip
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. staff — a stick
  10. chip — for betting
  11. tear — from crying
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. tear — from crying
  14. staff — employees
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. chip — to eat
  17. ground — a position
  18. ground — the earth
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. tube — a container
  21. staff — employees
  22. ground — crushed
  23. root — of a plant
  24. tube — the underground

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