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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 116 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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. fine — high quality
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. root — of a word
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. root — the cause
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. pound — a weight
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. net — in sport
  14. net — after costs
  15. lean — thin
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. lean — to bend
  18. rush — hurry
  19. root — of a plant
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. fine — all right
  22. net — for catching
  23. pitch — completely
  24. rush — a thrill

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