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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. root — of a plant
  7. root — of a word
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. court — for sport
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. court — of a king
  14. pitch — completely
  15. rash — a series
  16. root — the cause
  17. bass — the fish
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. present — the time now
  20. present — a gift
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. bass — low music
  23. present — there
  24. court — of law

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