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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. roll — a cake
  3. roll — a list
  4. root — of a plant
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. cold — not warm
  9. root — of a word
  10. mug — to rob
  11. root — the cause
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. rock — a stone
  17. pitch — completely
  18. rock — music
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. cold — an illness
  22. mug — a cup
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. coach — a trainer

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