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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. bound — obliged
  3. suit — clothes
  4. pitch — completely
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. game — a match
  11. root — of a plant
  12. suit — to fit
  13. game — wild animals
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. suit — in cards
  17. bound — tied together
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. root — of a word
  20. bound — certain
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. root — the cause

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