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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 120 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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. cue — for pool
  4. pit — in a race
  5. root — of a plant
  6. cue — a signal
  7. root — of a word
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. saw — the tool
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. cue — a hint
  14. pit — a hole
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. march — the month
  18. pitch — completely
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. saw — the tool
  23. root — the cause
  24. march — music

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