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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. pitch — completely
  3. swing — in golf
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. root — the cause
  6. degree — temperature
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. root — of a plant
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. degree — from a university
  11. degree — an amount
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. swing — to play on
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. root — of a word
  18. cue — for pool
  19. cue — a hint
  20. cue — a signal
  21. pound — a weight
  22. swing — music
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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