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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. lie — to recline
  3. root — of a word
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. mug — a face
  6. branch — a division
  7. field — farmland
  8. mug — to rob
  9. root — of a plant
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. pitch — completely
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. root — the cause
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. field — a subject
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. bat — the animal
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. field — for sport
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. bay — a horse colour

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