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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. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. saw — the tool
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. pit — in a race
  6. root — of a plant
  7. kick — in football
  8. fork — in a road
  9. pitch — completely
  10. root — the cause
  11. toast — bread
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. pit — a hole
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. chip — to eat
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. saw — the tool
  21. chip — for betting
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. root — of a word
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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