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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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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: pitch · toast · wave · cold · rule · root

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. rule — government
  6. root — the cause
  7. toast — bread
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. root — of a plant
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. cold — an illness
  13. pitch — completely
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. cold — not warm
  18. rule — a law

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