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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 116 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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. court — of a king
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. wind — moving air
  7. court — for sport
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. pitch — completely
  11. chair — a leader
  12. root — the cause
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. vault — a safe
  16. root — of a plant
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. prune — to trim
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. root — of a word
  21. wind — moving air
  22. court — of law
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. prune — to trim

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