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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. shower — to wash
  4. stand — to bear
  5. pitch — completely
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. foot — a measure
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. face — part of the head
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. face — to confront
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. root — of a plant
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. shower — rain
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. face — to point toward
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. root — of a word

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