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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: kid · root · pitch · fork · mug · pit · board · spell

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. root — of a plant
  3. pitch — completely
  4. kid — to tease
  5. spell — letters
  6. root — of a word
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. spell — a short time
  9. root — the cause
  10. pit — in a race
  11. kid — child
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. spell — magic
  14. board — a committee
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. fork — in a road
  19. mug — a cup
  20. pit — a hole
  21. mug — a face
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. mug — to rob

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