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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. mark — a grade
  4. cell — in biology
  5. pitch — completely
  6. root — of a word
  7. root — the cause
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. lean — thin
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. clip — to cut
  14. clip — for paper
  15. hand — in cards
  16. mark — a trace
  17. root — of a plant
  18. lean — to bend
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. hand — help
  21. clip — a video
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. cell — a phone
  24. lean — to rest against

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