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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: rock · root · pitch · foot · pit · bowl · fork · wake

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. pit — a hole
  6. foot — a measure
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. rock — music
  10. pitch — completely
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. wake — a trail
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. pit — in a race
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. rock — a stone
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. root — of a word
  21. root — of a plant
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. root — the cause
  24. fork — in a road

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