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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. tear — from crying
  3. spring — the season
  4. bank — for money
  5. bank — for money
  6. tear — to rip
  7. root — of a plant
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. spring — a coil
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. plane — a tool
  13. root — the cause
  14. mark — a trace
  15. season — of the year
  16. tear — from crying
  17. bank — of a river
  18. spring — of water
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. pitch — completely
  21. season — in sport
  22. mark — a grade
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. root — of a word

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