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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 ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. mug — a face
  3. tube — the underground
  4. pound — a weight
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. suit — to fit
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. mug — a cup
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. rest — what's left
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. mug — to rob
  13. suit — clothes
  14. rest — what's left
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. pitch — completely
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. suit — in cards
  19. sharp — clever
  20. tube — a container
  21. root — the cause
  22. root — of a plant
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. rest — a break

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