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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. game — a match
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. club — a group
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. capital — money
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. club — for golf
  9. drill — army training
  10. drill — a practice
  11. pitch — completely
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. mark — a trace
  14. root — of a word
  15. root — of a plant
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. capital — a city
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. game — wild animals
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. root — the cause
  22. club — for dancing
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. mark — a grade

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