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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  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. rash — hasty
  2. cell — in biology
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. bass — the fish
  5. root — of a word
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. rash — a series
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. cell — a phone
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. can — to be able to
  13. pitch — completely
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. bear — the animal
  16. can — a tin
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. can — a tin
  19. root — the cause
  20. root — of a plant
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bass — low music
  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