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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 room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. bank — for money
  3. field — a subject
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. stock — goods
  6. root — the cause
  7. root — of a plant
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. mine — for digging
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. stock — shares
  13. bank — of a river
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. field — farmland
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. field — for sport
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. bank — for money
  23. root — of a word
  24. wax — to grow

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