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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. scale — in music
  4. scale — size or range
  5. rash — hasty
  6. cold — not warm
  7. foot — a measure
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. cold — an illness
  11. root — of a word
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. root — of a plant
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. rash — a series
  21. rush — hurry
  22. mine — for digging
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. pitch — completely

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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