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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. root — the cause
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. root — of a word
  5. pitch — completely
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. mine — for digging
  8. root — of a plant
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. board — to get on
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. date — the fruit
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. band — a ring
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. chip — to eat
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. board — a committee
  23. chip — for betting
  24. band — a music group

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