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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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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: cell · craft · jam · toast · pound · ground · kick · root

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. root — the cause
  5. ground — crushed
  6. kick — in football
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. cell — in biology
  9. root — of a plant
  10. toast — bread
  11. craft — boats
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. cell — a phone
  16. pound — a weight
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. ground — the earth
  19. craft — a skill
  20. root — of a word
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. cell — in a prison

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