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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  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. root — of a word
  2. vault — a safe
  3. pitch — completely
  4. rule — a law
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. club — for dancing
  7. file — a tool
  8. root — the cause
  9. rule — government
  10. club — for golf
  11. swing — music
  12. root — of a plant
  13. club — a group
  14. bear — the animal
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. swing — in golf
  17. bear — the animal
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. swing — to play on
  20. file — a document
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. file — a line of people
  23. pitch — a sports field
  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