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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. roll — a cake
  5. ground — the earth
  6. root — of a word
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. ground — a position
  9. root — the cause
  10. ground — crushed
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. pitch — completely
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. root — of a plant
  18. stem — to come from
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. fork — in a road
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. roll — a list

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