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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. suit — to fit
  3. march — the month
  4. root — of a plant
  5. pop — music
  6. degree — from a university
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. pop — soda
  9. root — of a word
  10. squash — to crush
  11. degree — an amount
  12. rest — what's left
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. pop — to visit
  15. rest — a break
  16. suit — in cards
  17. rest — what's left
  18. squash — the sport
  19. march — the month
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. march — music
  22. root — the cause
  23. suit — clothes
  24. degree — temperature

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