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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 120 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 water is too ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. pitch — completely
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. march — the month
  5. wake — a trail
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. root — the cause
  10. root — of a word
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. root — of a plant
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. cold — an illness
  17. court — for sport
  18. bore — to drill
  19. court — of a king
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. march — the month
  22. march — music
  23. bore — to tire
  24. court — of law

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