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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: root · mate · ground · jam · safe · season · mouse · hide

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. season — in sport
  3. ground — the earth
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. mate — a friend
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. ground — crushed
  11. season — of the year
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mate — a partner
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. root — the cause
  18. ground — a position
  19. root — of a plant
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. mate — to breed
  24. mouse — the animal

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