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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. can — a tin
  3. can — a tin
  4. can — to be able to
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. deal — to handle
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. cell — in biology
  11. cell — a phone
  12. root — the cause
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. root — of a word
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. kid — to tease
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. kid — child
  24. root — of a plant

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