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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. pop — soda
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. pop — to visit
  6. cap — a hat
  7. pitch — completely
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. plane — a tool
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. pop — music
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. content — happy
  16. cap — of ice
  17. cap — a lid
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. root — of a plant
  20. content — the amount
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. root — of a word
  24. plane — in geometry

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