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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 120 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 a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. cue — a signal
  6. stock — goods
  7. rule — a law
  8. rule — government
  9. bass — low music
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. bass — the fish
  12. cue — a hint
  13. stock — shares
  14. fall — to drop
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. root — the cause
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. pitch — completely
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. root — of a word
  22. cue — for pool
  23. fall — to drop
  24. fall — the season

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