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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  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. rash — hasty
  2. root — of a plant
  3. root — of a word
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. root — the cause
  9. rock — a stone
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. rock — music
  12. pitch — completely
  13. stand — to bear
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. bass — the fish
  17. bass — low music
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. rash — a series
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. rash — on the skin
  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