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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 a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. pitch — completely
  4. mine — for digging
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. mate — a friend
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. last — finally
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. firm — steady
  11. firm — a company
  12. root — the cause
  13. last — to go on
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. mate — a partner
  16. last — final
  17. root — of a word
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. firm — decided
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. mate — to breed
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. pitch — a sports field

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