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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. cap — a lid
  4. game — a match
  5. last — final
  6. pitch — completely
  7. root — of a plant
  8. can — a tin
  9. last — to go on
  10. rest — what's left
  11. can — to be able to
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. rest — a break
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. root — of a word
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. cap — of ice
  19. last — finally
  20. cap — a hat
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. root — the cause
  23. game — wild animals
  24. rest — what's left

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