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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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  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. pitch — a sports field
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. bound — tied together
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. root — of a word
  7. bound — obliged
  8. march — music
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. current — happening now
  12. current — of water
  13. root — the cause
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. race — humankind
  16. march — the month
  17. race — a contest
  18. race — the arms race
  19. march — the month
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. bound — certain
  22. current — electric
  23. root — of a plant
  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