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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 ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. march — the month
  3. root — of a plant
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. mark — a grade
  7. net — in sport
  8. spring — of water
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. march — the month
  11. pitch — completely
  12. mark — a trace
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. root — the cause
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. net — after costs
  17. spring — a coil
  18. bass — the fish
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. spring — the season
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. net — for catching
  23. bass — low music
  24. march — music

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