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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 120 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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. root — the cause
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. field — for sport
  6. pitch — completely
  7. current — of water
  8. field — farmland
  9. lie — to recline
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. current — electric
  13. root — of a word
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. saw — the tool
  17. saw — the tool
  18. root — of a plant
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. field — a subject
  22. current — happening now
  23. stock — goods
  24. stock — shares

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