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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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. root — the cause
  4. cell — a phone
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. cell — in biology
  9. root — of a plant
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. pitch — completely
  12. bark — to shout
  13. squash — to crush
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. bound — tied together
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. foot — a measure
  18. bound — certain
  19. squash — the sport
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. bound — obliged
  23. root — of a word
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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