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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 124 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 room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. face — part of the head
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. face — to point toward
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. bark — to shout
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. root — of a word
  11. root — of a plant
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. root — the cause
  14. rush — hurry
  15. press — to push
  16. press — a publisher
  17. press — newspapers
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. face — to confront
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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