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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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. scale — size or range
  5. root — the cause
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. saw — the tool
  8. root — of a word
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. pitch — completely
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. stand — to bear
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. saw — the tool
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. scale — in music

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