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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. root — the cause
  4. fork — in a road
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. root — of a word
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. root — of a plant
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. land — ground
  15. land — a country
  16. cue — for pool
  17. cue — a signal
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. cue — a hint
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. vault — a safe
  24. land — to come down

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