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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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. root — of a plant
  4. root — of a word
  5. mine — for digging
  6. toast — bread
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. roll — a cake
  9. board — to get on
  10. face — to point toward
  11. tube — the underground
  12. pitch — completely
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. face — to confront
  15. tube — a container
  16. face — part of the head
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. board — a committee
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. root — the cause
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. roll — a list

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