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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.

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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: bay · pitch · stem · can · root · race · trunk · mug

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. mug — to rob
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. stem — to come from
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. mug — a face
  7. race — a contest
  8. mug — a cup
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. root — of a word
  11. can — a tin
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. race — humankind
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. pitch — completely
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. root — the cause
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. root — of a plant
  22. can — a tin
  23. can — to be able to
  24. race — the arms race

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