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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 116 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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. bear — the animal
  3. fall — to drop
  4. root — of a plant
  5. swing — in golf
  6. suit — clothes
  7. suit — in cards
  8. bear — the animal
  9. suit — to fit
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. scale — size or range
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. swing — to play on
  15. swing — music
  16. root — of a word
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. root — the cause
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. fall — to drop
  21. mine — for digging
  22. fall — the season
  23. scale — in music
  24. scale — for weighing

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