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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. bat — the animal
  3. pitch — completely
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. ball — a dance
  6. pit — a hole
  7. root — the cause
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. saw — the tool
  12. ball — a great time
  13. root — of a word
  14. pit — in a race
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. root — of a plant
  18. sharp — clever
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. saw — the tool

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