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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: root · pitch · firm · present · capital · stem · wake · chip

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. firm — a company
  3. present — a gift
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. stem — to come from
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. chip — to eat
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. capital — money
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. firm — decided
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. root — of a word
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. pitch — completely
  16. present — the time now
  17. wake — a trail
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. present — there
  21. firm — steady
  22. root — of a plant
  23. capital — a city
  24. chip — for betting

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