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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. root — the cause
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. lean — to bend
  8. bear — the animal
  9. ball — a great time
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. lean — thin
  14. pitch — completely
  15. cap — a lid
  16. cap — of ice
  17. root — of a plant
  18. pit — a hole
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. pit — in a race
  21. cap — a hat
  22. root — of a word
  23. ball — a dance
  24. bear — the animal

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