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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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 ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. pitch — completely
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. content — the amount
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. root — the cause
  7. staff — employees
  8. fine — high quality
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. staff — a stick
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. staff — employees
  13. land — to come down
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. rule — a law
  16. content — happy
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. land — a country
  19. land — ground
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. rule — government
  22. root — of a plant
  23. fine — all right
  24. content — videos and posts

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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