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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. pitch — completely
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. roll — a list
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. roll — a cake
  7. tube — the underground
  8. root — of a word
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. saw — the tool
  12. craft — boats
  13. root — of a plant
  14. bat — the animal
  15. pop — to visit
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. craft — a skill
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. saw — the tool
  21. tube — a container
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. pop — soda
  24. root — the cause

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