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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. drill — the tool
  3. present — the time now
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. suit — in cards
  6. game — wild animals
  7. staff — a stick
  8. drill — army training
  9. present — a gift
  10. suit — clothes
  11. root — of a plant
  12. fine — high quality
  13. present — there
  14. game — a match
  15. pitch — completely
  16. drill — a practice
  17. root — the cause
  18. staff — employees
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. fine — all right
  21. suit — to fit
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. root — of a word
  24. staff — employees

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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