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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. rush — hurry
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. charge — a price
  8. root — of a plant
  9. date — the fruit
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. wax — to grow
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. root — the cause
  15. pitch — completely
  16. charge — in control
  17. craft — a skill
  18. charge — electricity
  19. root — of a word
  20. chip — to eat
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. chip — for betting
  23. craft — boats
  24. chip — in a computer

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