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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 ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. pitch — completely
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. current — of water
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. plane — a tool
  10. root — of a word
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. rule — a law
  16. rule — government
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. root — the cause
  21. current — happening now
  22. current — electric
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. date — the fruit

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