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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. pop — soda
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. root — of a plant
  7. pitch — completely
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. bass — low music
  14. date — the fruit
  15. pass — a permit
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. root — the cause
  18. pop — to visit
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. bass — the fish
  21. root — of a word
  22. mine — for digging
  23. pop — music
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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