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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. root — of a word
  3. suit — in cards
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. swing — in golf
  6. land — a country
  7. root — of a plant
  8. ground — the earth
  9. land — to come down
  10. swing — to play on
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. swing — music
  13. pitch — completely
  14. dip — to sink
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. root — the cause
  17. ground — crushed
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. suit — clothes
  23. land — ground
  24. ground — a position

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