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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 120 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: plane · tear · pitch · root · bowl · calf · rest · content

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. content — the amount
  3. tear — from crying
  4. root — the cause
  5. rest — what's left
  6. pitch — completely
  7. root — of a word
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. tear — to rip
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. plane — a tool
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. tear — from crying
  18. rest — what's left
  19. content — happy
  20. root — of a plant
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. rest — a break
  24. calf — of the leg

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