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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: date · calf · root · content · pitch · press · roll · sharp

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. press — to push
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. sharp — clever
  7. root — the cause
  8. root — of a word
  9. content — the amount
  10. root — of a plant
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. roll — a cake
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. content — happy
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. press — a publisher
  18. roll — a list
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. pitch — completely
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. press — newspapers
  24. date — the fruit

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