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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. root — of a plant
  4. bound — certain
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. bound — tied together
  7. object — a thing
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. hand — help
  10. bass — low music
  11. root — of a word
  12. root — the cause
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. mark — a grade
  15. mark — a trace
  16. hand — in cards
  17. object — to protest
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. object — an aim
  20. bound — obliged
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. bass — the fish
  23. pitch — completely
  24. fan — a supporter

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