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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. net — for catching
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. row — to paddle
  5. charge — a price
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. lie — to recline
  8. net — after costs
  9. charge — electricity
  10. net — in sport
  11. charge — in control
  12. suit — clothes
  13. pitch — completely
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. root — of a word
  16. ground — the earth
  17. root — of a plant
  18. suit — in cards
  19. suit — to fit
  20. ground — crushed
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. row — a line
  23. ground — a position
  24. root — the cause

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