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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 strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. saw — the tool
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. chair — a leader
  6. wind — moving air
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. pitch — completely
  9. root — the cause
  10. file — a document
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. file — a line of people
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. file — a tool
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. chip — for betting
  20. root — of a word
  21. root — of a plant
  22. chip — to eat
  23. saw — the tool
  24. chair — a professorship

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