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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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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: rash · pitch · root · mug · dip · pitcher · stick · ruler

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. pitch — completely
  7. root — of a plant
  8. mug — a face
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. mug — a cup
  15. rash — a series
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. rash — hasty
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. mug — to rob
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. dip — to sink
  23. root — of a word
  24. pitch — a sports field

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