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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 120 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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. bank — for money
  5. pitch — completely
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. face — to confront
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. face — to point toward
  10. wake — a trail
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. root — the cause
  13. chair — a leader
  14. root — of a plant
  15. bank — of a river
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. face — part of the head
  20. stand — to bear
  21. chip — to eat
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. chip — for betting
  24. bank — for money

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