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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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. last — final
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. sharp — clever
  6. mug — a face
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. root — the cause
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. root — of a plant
  11. mug — to rob
  12. pitch — completely
  13. chip — for betting
  14. lean — to bend
  15. root — of a word
  16. last — finally
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. dip — to sink
  19. mug — a cup
  20. chip — to eat
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. lean — thin
  23. last — to go on
  24. dip — to dunk

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