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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 116 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: clip · dip · rash · root · bore · ground · present · pitch

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. dip — to sink
  3. root — the cause
  4. bore — to tire
  5. ground — crushed
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. clip — to cut
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. clip — for paper
  10. root — of a word
  11. clip — a video
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. present — the time now
  14. ground — the earth
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. rash — a series
  17. pitch — completely
  18. ground — a position
  19. bore — to drill
  20. root — of a plant
  21. present — there
  22. present — a gift
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. pitch — a sports field

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