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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: root · file · dip · bark · rule · pitcher · pitch · tube

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. root — of a word
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. tube — a container
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. tube — the underground
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. root — of a plant
  10. dip — to sink
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. pitch — completely
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. file — a document
  17. rule — a law
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. file — a tool
  20. bark — to shout
  21. root — the cause
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. file — a line of people
  24. rule — government

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