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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. suit — to fit
  4. ground — the earth
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. suit — clothes
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. root — of a plant
  13. root — of a word
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. suit — in cards
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. root — the cause
  21. ground — a position
  22. ground — crushed
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. pitch — a sports field

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