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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: net · root · bay · lean · date · firm · spell · ground

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. ground — the earth
  3. firm — decided
  4. spell — a short time
  5. spell — letters
  6. ground — crushed
  7. date — the fruit
  8. lean — to bend
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. net — for catching
  13. root — of a plant
  14. firm — steady
  15. firm — a company
  16. spell — magic
  17. net — in sport
  18. root — of a word
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. net — after costs
  23. root — the cause
  24. ground — a position

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