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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  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. fall — to drop
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. pitch — completely
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. squash — to crush
  7. root — of a plant
  8. fall — to drop
  9. craft — boats
  10. root — the cause
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. root — of a word
  14. game — a match
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. pass — a permit
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. fall — the season
  20. squash — the sport
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. craft — a skill
  23. game — wild animals
  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