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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 116 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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. suit — clothes
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. root — of a plant
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. kid — to tease
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. rest — what's left
  9. root — the cause
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. field — a subject
  13. kid — child
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. snap — to click
  16. rest — a break
  17. suit — in cards
  18. field — for sport
  19. root — of a word
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. pitch — completely
  22. rest — what's left
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. suit — to fit

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