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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 stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. root — the cause
  4. root — of a plant
  5. field — farmland
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. rash — a series
  8. root — of a word
  9. mate — a friend
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. rash — hasty
  12. pitch — completely
  13. present — the time now
  14. field — a subject
  15. present — there
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. mate — to breed
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. mate — a partner
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. present — a gift

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