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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. root — the cause
  3. hand — help
  4. root — of a plant
  5. fine — high quality
  6. wound — an injury
  7. fine — all right
  8. pitch — completely
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. game — wild animals
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. wound — an injury
  16. game — a match
  17. stand — to bear
  18. root — of a word
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. hand — in cards

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