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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. root — of a word
  3. stand — to bear
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. clip — to cut
  6. pitch — completely
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. track — to keep track
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. track — a song
  11. fine — high quality
  12. object — a thing
  13. clip — for paper
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. clip — a video
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. object — to protest
  18. fine — all right
  19. row — a line
  20. root — of a plant
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. object — an aim
  23. row — to paddle
  24. track — a path

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