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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 room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. cue — a signal
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. root — of a word
  5. cue — for pool
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. swing — in golf
  8. root — of a plant
  9. cue — a hint
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. swing — to play on
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. press — to push
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. root — the cause
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. press — a publisher
  22. press — newspapers
  23. swing — music
  24. patient — a sick person

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