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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. suit — clothes
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. band — a ring
  7. band — a music group
  8. root — the cause
  9. suit — in cards
  10. root — of a word
  11. last — finally
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. last — final
  15. last — to go on
  16. root — of a plant
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. plane — a tool
  20. pitch — completely
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. trunk — of a car

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