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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 120 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 ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. pitch — completely
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. saw — the tool
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. root — of a word
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. club — for golf
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. rule — a law
  17. root — the cause
  18. rule — government
  19. bat — the animal
  20. saw — the tool
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. club — a group
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. club — for dancing

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