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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 120 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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. shower — rain
  3. drill — the tool
  4. drill — a practice
  5. drill — army training
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. bound — tied together
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. rock — music
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. saw — the tool
  12. bound — obliged
  13. root — of a word
  14. rock — a stone
  15. root — of a plant
  16. suit — to fit
  17. shower — to wash
  18. suit — in cards
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. suit — clothes
  21. bound — certain
  22. saw — the tool
  23. root — the cause
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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