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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 116 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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. staff — a stick
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. suit — to fit
  5. staff — employees
  6. pitch — completely
  7. shower — to wash
  8. shower — rain
  9. deal — to handle
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. root — of a plant
  12. root — the cause
  13. track — a song
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. root — of a word
  17. suit — clothes
  18. suit — in cards
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. track — to keep track
  21. track — a path
  22. staff — employees
  23. rash — a series
  24. rash — hasty

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