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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  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. mate — a partner
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. ground — the earth
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. root — of a word
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. root — the cause
  8. ground — a position
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. staff — employees
  11. mate — a friend
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. bass — the fish
  14. staff — employees
  15. tube — a container
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. staff — a stick
  19. ground — crushed
  20. tube — the underground
  21. root — of a plant
  22. bass — low music
  23. mate — to breed
  24. pitch — completely

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