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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 need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. pitch — completely
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. root — of a word
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. capital — money
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. craft — boats
  10. root — the cause
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. dip — to sink
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. season — of the year
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. craft — a skill
  19. capital — a city
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. season — in sport
  24. root — of a plant

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