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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 room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. last — to go on
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. rest — what's left
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. craft — a skill
  9. craft — boats
  10. tear — from crying
  11. tear — from crying
  12. root — the cause
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. tear — to rip
  15. rest — what's left
  16. foot — a measure
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. last — final
  20. root — of a plant
  21. last — finally
  22. rest — a break
  23. root — of a word
  24. foot — part of the body

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