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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 ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. file — a tool
  3. root — the cause
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. ball — a dance
  8. pitch — completely
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. file — a line of people
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. file — a document
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. root — of a word
  17. rash — hasty
  18. kid — to tease
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. rash — a series
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. ball — a great time
  24. kid — child

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