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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 · present · foot · trunk · club · bulb · root · pound

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. pound — a weight
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. bulb — for light
  6. present — a gift
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. club — for dancing
  9. root — of a word
  10. bulb — for light
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. pitch — completely
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. present — the time now
  16. club — a group
  17. root — the cause
  18. root — of a plant
  19. foot — a measure
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. present — there

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