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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. firm — a company
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. firm — decided
  8. firm — steady
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. last — finally
  11. root — of a word
  12. root — the cause
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. key — the most important part
  15. root — of a plant
  16. last — final
  17. key — for a lock
  18. rest — what's left
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. key — in music
  21. rest — what's left
  22. rest — a break
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. last — to go on

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