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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. root — the cause
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. row — to paddle
  8. sharp — clever
  9. staff — employees
  10. row — a line
  11. staff — employees
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. root — of a word
  16. can — a tin
  17. pitch — completely
  18. root — of a plant
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. can — a tin
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. can — to be able to

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