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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 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  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 — of a word
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. net — after costs
  5. root — the cause
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. roll — a list
  8. root — of a plant
  9. net — for catching
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. roll — a cake
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. fork — in a road
  14. lie — to recline
  15. key — in music
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. net — in sport
  18. wake — a trail
  19. key — for a lock
  20. key — the most important part
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. pitch — completely

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