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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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. root — of a plant
  4. suit — to fit
  5. suit — in cards
  6. can — to be able to
  7. bank — for money
  8. root — of a word
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. land — ground
  11. bank — for money
  12. root — the cause
  13. land — to come down
  14. can — a tin
  15. suit — clothes
  16. stock — goods
  17. pitch — completely
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. land — a country
  20. can — a tin
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. bank — of a river
  23. stock — shares
  24. sharp — clever

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