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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. rest — what's left
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. swing — to play on
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. snap — to click
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. swing — in golf
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. root — the cause
  13. swing — music
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. pitch — completely
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. root — of a plant
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. rest — what's left
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. root — of a word

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