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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  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. mine — an explosive
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. pitch — completely
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. mine — for digging
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. file — a tool
  12. root — of a word
  13. mark — a trace
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. file — a document
  18. root — the cause
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. file — a line of people
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. mark — a grade
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. root — of a plant

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