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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
468
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: cell · tube · cabinet · root · pitch · chest · fan · can

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  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. root — the cause
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. root — of a word
  4. chest — of your body
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. chest — a box
  7. chest — of your body
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. tube — a container
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. can — to be able to
  14. cell — in biology
  15. pitch — completely
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. can — a tin
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. root — of a plant
  21. tube — the underground
  22. can — a tin
  23. cell — a phone
  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