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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: pitch · bore · trunk · bulb · race · saw · root · content

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. bore — to drill
  3. race — humankind
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bore — to tire
  6. root — the cause
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. saw — the tool
  9. content — happy
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. race — the arms race
  12. root — of a word
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. saw — the tool
  15. race — a contest
  16. content — the amount
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. bulb — for light
  21. root — of a plant
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. pitch — completely
  24. content — videos and posts

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