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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 a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. hand — help
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. bear — the animal
  5. net — in sport
  6. root — of a word
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. mate — a friend
  11. mate — to breed
  12. bear — the animal
  13. pit — in a race
  14. pit — a hole
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. net — for catching
  17. hand — in cards
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. pitch — completely
  21. mate — a partner
  22. root — the cause
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. net — after costs

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