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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: wave · content · temple · pitch · root · season · pop · land

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. root — of a plant
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. content — happy
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. season — in sport
  10. pop — soda
  11. content — the amount
  12. land — to come down
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. root — of a word
  15. pop — music
  16. land — a country
  17. land — ground
  18. root — the cause
  19. pop — to visit
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. season — of the year
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. wave — with your hand

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