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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: nail · pit · ground · root · shower · mark · pitch · bear

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. root — the cause
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. shower — rain
  6. shower — to wash
  7. pit — a hole
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. pitch — completely
  10. root — of a plant
  11. mark — a trace
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. bear — the animal
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. ground — the earth
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. ground — a position
  19. root — of a word
  20. bear — the animal
  21. ground — crushed
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. mark — a grade
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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