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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 · last · lie · bat · drill · dip · foot · pitch

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. dip — to sink
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. last — finally
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. lie — to recline
  7. root — of a plant
  8. bat — the animal
  9. drill — the tool
  10. drill — a practice
  11. root — the cause
  12. last — to go on
  13. root — of a word
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. pitch — completely
  16. foot — a measure
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. last — final
  24. drill — army training

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