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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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: pit · rash · plane · stock · root · present · pitcher · chair

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. root — of a plant
  3. rash — a series
  4. chair — a leader
  5. present — the time now
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. rash — hasty
  9. stock — shares
  10. present — a gift
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. present — there
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pit — in a race
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. stock — goods
  18. root — the cause
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. plane — a tool
  21. pit — a hole
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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