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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. dip — to sink
  4. root — of a word
  5. object — to protest
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. object — an aim
  9. key — the most important part
  10. kid — child
  11. ground — a position
  12. ground — crushed
  13. object — a thing
  14. key — for a lock
  15. ground — the earth
  16. present — a gift
  17. pitch — completely
  18. kid — to tease
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. root — of a plant
  21. present — there
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. present — the time now
  24. root — the cause

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