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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 room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. rash — hasty
  4. root — of a plant
  5. current — happening now
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. bass — low music
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. root — the cause
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. rash — a series
  14. saw — the tool
  15. rush — hurry
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. root — of a word
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. current — of water
  21. current — electric
  22. bass — the fish
  23. saw — the tool
  24. nail — on a finger

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