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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. pitch — completely
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. tube — the underground
  5. rest — a break
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. root — of a word
  8. fine — high quality
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. fine — all right
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. mine — for digging
  14. rest — what's left
  15. can — a tin
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. can — a tin
  18. tube — a container
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. can — to be able to
  21. kid — child
  22. root — of a plant
  23. kid — to tease
  24. rest — what's left

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