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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. squash — the sport
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. track — to keep track
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. squash — to crush
  8. scale — in music
  9. mark — a grade
  10. mark — a trace
  11. track — a song
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. scale — size or range
  16. pitch — completely
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. root — of a plant
  19. root — the cause
  20. face — to point toward
  21. face — part of the head
  22. root — of a word
  23. face — to confront
  24. track — a path

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