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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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. staff — employees
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. staff — employees
  5. race — a contest
  6. root — of a plant
  7. pitch — completely
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. swing — music
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. swing — to play on
  14. root — of a word
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. race — humankind
  17. root — the cause
  18. swing — in golf
  19. race — the arms race
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. deal — to handle
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. bay — a horse colour

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