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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 water is too ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. cue — for pool
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. cold — an illness
  5. craft — boats
  6. root — of a word
  7. object — an aim
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. object — to protest
  10. craft — a skill
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. pitch — completely
  13. cue — a hint
  14. fine — all right
  15. cue — a signal
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. root — the cause
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. fine — high quality
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. root — of a plant
  23. object — a thing
  24. hide — to keep secret

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