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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: roll · net · wake · pitch · press · sharp · root · date

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. net — in sport
  4. wake — a trail
  5. press — a publisher
  6. date — the fruit
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. roll — a list
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. press — newspapers
  11. net — for catching
  12. root — of a plant
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. net — after costs
  15. pitch — completely
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. sharp — clever
  18. root — the cause
  19. roll — a cake
  20. press — to push
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. root — of a word

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