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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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. bat — the animal
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. face — part of the head
  6. lean — thin
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. current — happening now
  10. root — of a word
  11. current — electric
  12. root — the cause
  13. lean — to bend
  14. field — farmland
  15. face — to confront
  16. pitch — completely
  17. field — for sport
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. current — of water
  21. field — a subject
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. face — to point toward

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