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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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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: ground · kid · root · calf · cabinet · clip · pitcher · suit

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. ground — crushed
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. suit — clothes
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. root — the cause
  7. root — of a plant
  8. suit — to fit
  9. root — of a word
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. ground — the earth
  14. ground — a position
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. kid — to tease
  18. clip — for paper
  19. clip — to cut
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. suit — in cards
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. kid — child

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