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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: suit · pitch · land · season · root · bass · fork · lean

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. pitch — completely
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. suit — clothes
  5. root — of a plant
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. season — in sport
  9. bass — low music
  10. land — ground
  11. root — the cause
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. lean — thin
  14. bass — the fish
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. fork — in a road
  17. root — of a word
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. land — to come down
  20. season — of the year
  21. land — a country
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. suit — in cards
  24. suit — to fit

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