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

Word bank: tear · stick · root · cue · pitch · sharp · staff · content

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. content — the amount
  3. cue — a hint
  4. sharp — clever
  5. staff — a stick
  6. root — of a plant
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. tear — from crying
  10. root — of a word
  11. staff — employees
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. root — the cause
  14. staff — employees
  15. cue — a signal
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. pitch — completely
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. tear — to rip
  22. cue — for pool
  23. content — happy
  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