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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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. root — of a plant
  7. root — of a word
  8. bark — to shout
  9. kick — in football
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. pitch — completely
  14. fork — in a road
  15. root — the cause
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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