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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mate · saw · field · root · rest · sharp · pitch · bound

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. mate — to breed
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. mate — a friend
  5. field — for sport
  6. root — the cause
  7. rest — a break
  8. root — of a plant
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. pitch — completely
  11. saw — the tool
  12. rest — what's left
  13. mate — a partner
  14. saw — the tool
  15. field — a subject
  16. bound — certain
  17. bound — tied together
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. root — of a word
  20. bound — obliged
  21. field — farmland
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. rest — what's left
  24. sharp — exactly

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