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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. root — of a word
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. squash — to crush
  6. root — the cause
  7. wind — moving air
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. wind — moving air
  10. bound — obliged
  11. vault — a safe
  12. track — a song
  13. squash — the sport
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. track — a path
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. bound — tied together
  19. root — of a plant
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. bound — certain
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. track — to keep track

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