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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 120 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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. root — the cause
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. fine — high quality
  5. spring — the season
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. pop — music
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. pitch — completely
  12. root — of a word
  13. spring — of water
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. fork — in a road
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. pop — soda
  22. pop — to visit
  23. root — of a plant
  24. spring — a coil

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