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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. spring — a coil
  4. bear — the animal
  5. game — a match
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. root — of a plant
  8. spring — of water
  9. root — the cause
  10. pitch — completely
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. root — of a word
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. pit — in a race
  15. bear — the animal
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. pit — a hole
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. game — wild animals
  22. rush — hurry
  23. spring — the season
  24. bear — to put up with

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