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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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. fine — high quality
  3. root — of a plant
  4. cold — not warm
  5. root — of a word
  6. fine — all right
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. rock — a stone
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. mark — a grade
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. root — the cause
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. rock — music
  20. pitch — completely
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. cold — an illness

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