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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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. root — of a word
  3. bass — the fish
  4. sharp — clever
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. shower — to wash
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. shower — rain
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. root — the cause
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. ground — crushed
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. vault — a safe
  16. kid — child
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. ground — a position
  19. ground — the earth
  20. kid — to tease
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. bass — low music
  23. pitch — completely
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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