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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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. pop — to visit
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. rush — hurry
  5. pop — music
  6. root — the cause
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. pop — soda
  11. root — of a plant
  12. dip — to sink
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. perch — the fish
  16. field — farmland
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. field — for sport
  19. pitch — completely
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. root — of a word
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. field — a subject

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