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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: cap · root · track · bulb · pitch · plane · bat · row

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. root — of a word
  6. cap — a hat
  7. plane — a tool
  8. bulb — for light
  9. row — to paddle
  10. bat — the animal
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. track — to keep track
  14. pitch — completely
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. root — the cause
  17. cap — a lid
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. row — a line
  20. track — a path
  21. track — a song
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. cap — of ice
  24. bulb — for light

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