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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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. land — a country
  5. cue — for pool
  6. foot — a measure
  7. pop — soda
  8. pitch — completely
  9. pop — to visit
  10. branch — a division
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. cue — a signal
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. pop — music
  15. root — the cause
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. land — to come down
  18. cue — a hint
  19. wake — a trail
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. root — of a plant
  22. root — of a word
  23. land — ground
  24. foot — the bottom

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