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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: season · rock · chair · root · pitch · chip · present · rule

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. root — the cause
  4. present — a gift
  5. present — the time now
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. rock — music
  8. chip — for betting
  9. pitch — completely
  10. chip — to eat
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. root — of a plant
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. rule — a law
  16. root — of a word
  17. chair — a leader
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. rock — a stone
  21. rule — government
  22. present — there
  23. season — of the year
  24. season — in sport

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