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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: root · saw · board · track · face · toast · clip · pitch

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  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. pitch — a sales talk
  2. saw — the tool
  3. toast — bread
  4. clip — for paper
  5. root — of a word
  6. clip — a video
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. saw — the tool
  9. face — to point toward
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. root — of a plant
  12. board — to get on
  13. track — a song
  14. track — to keep track
  15. face — to confront
  16. board — a committee
  17. track — a path
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. root — the cause
  21. pitch — completely
  22. clip — to cut
  23. face — part of the head
  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