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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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. root — of a word
  4. root — of a plant
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. land — ground
  12. spring — the season
  13. spring — a coil
  14. root — the cause
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. land — a country
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. land — to come down
  20. pitch — completely
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. spring — of water
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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