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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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. rash — a series
  4. staff — employees
  5. staff — employees
  6. march — music
  7. root — the cause
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. root — of a word
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. pitch — completely
  13. tube — the underground
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. tube — a container
  16. root — of a plant
  17. staff — a stick
  18. march — the month
  19. march — the month
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. row — to paddle
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. rash — hasty
  24. racket — for tennis

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