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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: fall · present · deal · root · pitch · chip · field · wake

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. chip — to eat
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. chip — for betting
  7. fall — to drop
  8. root — the cause
  9. root — of a word
  10. present — the time now
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. present — there
  13. root — of a plant
  14. fall — to drop
  15. pitch — completely
  16. present — a gift
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. deal — to handle
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. field — for sport
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. fall — the season
  23. field — a subject
  24. field — farmland

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