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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. pitch — completely
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. bank — for money
  6. root — the cause
  7. board — to get on
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. snap — to click
  10. cold — not warm
  11. cold — an illness
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. season — of the year
  14. board — a committee
  15. root — of a word
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. root — of a plant
  18. bank — of a river
  19. season — in sport
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. pit — a hole
  23. bank — for money
  24. pit — in a race

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