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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 116 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: pitch · bank · tear · root · mate · mark · rest · pitcher

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. root — of a plant
  3. tear — from crying
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. bank — of a river
  6. bank — for money
  7. pitch — completely
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. rest — a break
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. rest — what's left
  12. tear — to rip
  13. bank — for money
  14. root — the cause
  15. tear — from crying
  16. mate — to breed
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. rest — what's left
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. root — of a word
  21. mate — a partner
  22. mate — a friend
  23. mark — a trace
  24. mark — to pay attention

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