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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. perch — the fish
  3. staff — a stick
  4. root — of a plant
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. stock — goods
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. bear — the animal
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. stock — shares
  12. staff — employees
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. root — the cause
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rest — what's left
  17. bear — the animal
  18. root — of a word
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. staff — employees
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. rest — a break

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