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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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. pitch — completely
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. root — of a plant
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. band — a ring
  9. chair — a leader
  10. root — the cause
  11. ball — a dance
  12. sharp — clever
  13. root — of a word
  14. ball — a great time
  15. band — a music group
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. bark — to shout
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. hand — help
  23. hand — in cards
  24. hand — part of the body

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