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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: pitch · root · bound · tear · rock · patient · cabinet · press

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. pitch — completely
  3. rock — music
  4. root — of a plant
  5. rock — a stone
  6. bound — obliged
  7. press — a publisher
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. bound — certain
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. press — newspapers
  13. root — of a word
  14. press — to push
  15. bound — tied together
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. tear — from crying
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. tear — from crying
  23. root — the cause
  24. cabinet — ministers

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