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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 soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. drill — a practice
  4. root — of a word
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. band — a music group
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. stem — to come from
  10. root — the cause
  11. bark — to shout
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. band — a ring
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. drill — the tool
  19. root — of a plant
  20. ball — a dance
  21. pitch — completely
  22. ball — a great time
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. stem — 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