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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: pitch · root · dip · hide · stick · fan · chest · bank

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. bank — of a river
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. root — of a plant
  11. pitch — completely
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. chest — of your body
  14. chest — of your body
  15. root — the cause
  16. dip — to sink
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. root — of a word
  19. bank — for money
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. chest — a box
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. bank — for money

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