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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.

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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: ruler · root · rest · pass · present · ground · staff · bay

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. staff — a stick
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. root — of a plant
  7. rest — a break
  8. present — there
  9. pass — a permit
  10. staff — employees
  11. ground — the earth
  12. ground — a position
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. root — the cause
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. rest — what's left
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. ground — crushed
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. staff — employees
  21. root — of a word
  22. rest — what's left
  23. present — the time now
  24. ruler — for measuring

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