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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: pitch · root · row · mouse · band · lean · straw · foot

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. root — of a plant
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. band — a music group
  6. lean — thin
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. root — of a word
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. row — to paddle
  13. foot — a measure
  14. lean — to bend
  15. row — a line
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. band — a ring
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. root — the cause
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. pitch — completely

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