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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 ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. staff — employees
  3. march — the month
  4. staff — employees
  5. rock — music
  6. staff — a stick
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. rock — a stone
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. lie — to recline
  11. march — music
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. march — the month
  14. squash — the sport
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. root — of a plant
  19. squash — to crush
  20. pitch — completely
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. root — the cause
  24. lie — an untruth

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