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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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. pitch — completely
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. root — the cause
  5. mark — a grade
  6. row — to paddle
  7. mark — a trace
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. root — of a plant
  10. root — of a word
  11. pass — a permit
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. scale — size or range
  14. pit — in a race
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. pit — a hole
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. row — a line
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. scale — in music
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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