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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. rock — music
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. root — of a word
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. root — the cause
  9. root — of a plant
  10. file — a document
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. file — a line of people
  13. roll — a list
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. rock — a stone
  17. bore — to drill
  18. mark — a grade
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. roll — a cake
  21. mark — a trace
  22. date — the fruit
  23. file — a tool
  24. bore — to tire

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