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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 120 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: pit · pitch · face · spell · bound · root · pitcher · bulb

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. face — to confront
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. spell — letters
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. pit — a hole
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. bound — obliged
  10. face — to point toward
  11. face — part of the head
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bound — tied together
  14. root — the cause
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. root — of a plant
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. spell — magic
  19. bound — certain
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. bulb — for light
  22. pitch — completely
  23. pit — in a race
  24. root — of a word

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