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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. content — happy
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. root — the cause
  7. last — final
  8. root — of a plant
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. root — of a word
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. rush — hurry
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. pit — in a race
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. last — to go on
  21. content — the amount
  22. pit — a hole
  23. wake — a trail
  24. last — finally

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