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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 ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. branch — a division
  3. suit — to fit
  4. root — of a plant
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. suit — in cards
  8. pitch — completely
  9. game — a match
  10. scale — in music
  11. lie — to recline
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. root — the cause
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. game — wild animals
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. mine — for digging
  21. scale — size or range
  22. suit — clothes
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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