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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. saw — the tool
  4. pitch — completely
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. root — of a word
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. root — the cause
  11. chair — a leader
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. mine — for digging
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. root — of a plant
  18. bat — the animal
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. saw — the tool
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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