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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. pitch — completely
  3. suit — to fit
  4. suit — in cards
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. suit — clothes
  7. bear — the animal
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. rock — a stone
  12. spell — a short time
  13. root — the cause
  14. bat — the animal
  15. band — a ring
  16. root — of a plant
  17. band — a music group
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. bear — the animal
  20. rock — music
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. root — of a word
  24. spell — magic

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