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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. pitch — completely
  3. root — the cause
  4. mate — to breed
  5. root — of a word
  6. club — for golf
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. current — of water
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. current — electric
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. mine — for digging
  17. dip — to sink
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. current — happening now
  20. rush — hurry
  21. club — a group
  22. mate — a friend
  23. mate — a partner
  24. root — of a plant

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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