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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. tube — a container
  3. root — the cause
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. last — to go on
  12. last — final
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. root — of a plant
  15. root — of a word
  16. cap — of ice
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. cap — a lid
  19. kick — in football
  20. pitch — completely
  21. tube — the underground
  22. mine — for digging
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. cap — a hat

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