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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 120 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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. pitch — completely
  4. club — for golf
  5. root — of a word
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. root — of a plant
  9. chair — a leader
  10. track — a path
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. rush — hurry
  13. shower — rain
  14. track — a song
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. shower — to wash
  18. saw — the tool
  19. root — the cause
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. club — a group
  23. saw — the tool
  24. club — for dancing

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