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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. root — of a word
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. last — finally
  6. charge — electricity
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. root — the cause
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. last — final
  11. stand — to bear
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. pitch — completely
  14. root — of a plant
  15. saw — the tool
  16. saw — the tool
  17. charge — in control
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. degree — an amount
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. degree — temperature
  22. last — to go on
  23. degree — from a university
  24. charge — a price

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