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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. pit — in a race
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. game — wild animals
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. sharp — clever
  8. root — of a plant
  9. suit — clothes
  10. pit — a hole
  11. root — the cause
  12. pitch — completely
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. land — ground
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. land — to come down
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. suit — in cards
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. land — a country
  21. game — a match
  22. wax — to grow
  23. root — of a word
  24. wax — in the ear

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