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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 120 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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. can — a tin
  3. file — a line of people
  4. can — to be able to
  5. game — wild animals
  6. pitch — completely
  7. root — of a plant
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. root — of a word
  11. can — a tin
  12. file — a document
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bear — the animal
  17. root — the cause
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. game — a match
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. file — a tool
  24. racket — a loud noise

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