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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. root — of a plant
  4. clip — for paper
  5. root — of a word
  6. drill — army training
  7. clip — to cut
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. drill — the tool
  11. drill — a practice
  12. fall — the season
  13. fall — to drop
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. root — the cause
  16. fall — to drop
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. pop — to visit
  19. lean — to bend
  20. clip — a video
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. pop — music
  23. lean — thin
  24. pitch — completely

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