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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  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. mine — belonging to me
  2. rock — music
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. rock — a stone
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. bear — the animal
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. pitch — completely
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. rule — government
  12. rule — a law
  13. root — of a word
  14. mine — for digging
  15. kick — in football
  16. bear — the animal
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. root — of a plant
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. root — the cause
  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