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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 address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  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. root — the cause
  2. mate — a partner
  3. mate — to breed
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. mug — a cup
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. mug — a face
  8. mate — a friend
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. spring — the season
  11. bank — for money
  12. bank — of a river
  13. spring — of water
  14. bank — for money
  15. fine — all right
  16. fine — high quality
  17. mug — to rob
  18. wake — a trail
  19. spring — a coil
  20. root — of a plant
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. root — of a word
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. pitch — completely

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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