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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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468
Word bank
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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 flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. pitch — completely
  5. root — of a word
  6. fine — all right
  7. fine — high quality
  8. mug — to rob
  9. mug — a cup
  10. root — the cause
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. chair — a leader
  13. scale — in music
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. mug — a face
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. scale — size or range
  18. root — of a plant
  19. spring — a coil
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. spring — of water
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. ruler — for measuring

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