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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 116 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 took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. root — of a word
  3. hand — help
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. pitch — completely
  10. root — the cause
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. chair — a leader
  14. staff — a stick
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. staff — employees
  20. hand — in cards
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. root — of a plant
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. staff — employees

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