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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. land — to come down
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. root — of a word
  5. tube — the underground
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. tube — a container
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. land — a country
  11. rush — hurry
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. root — of a plant
  14. kid — child
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. root — the cause
  20. kid — to tease
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. land — ground
  24. rush — to hurry

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