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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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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 · root · branch · spell · fork · rock · capital · face

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. spell — magic
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. rock — a stone
  6. face — part of the head
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. root — of a word
  10. capital — a city
  11. face — to confront
  12. spell — letters
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. capital — money
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. root — of a plant
  17. spell — a short time
  18. branch — a division
  19. fork — in a road
  20. pitch — completely
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. root — the cause
  24. rock — music

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