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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. root — of a plant
  5. suit — to fit
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. saw — the tool
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. suit — clothes
  10. swing — to play on
  11. sharp — clever
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. root — the cause
  17. swing — music
  18. swing — in golf
  19. pitch — completely
  20. suit — in cards
  21. saw — the tool
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. chair — a leader

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