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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: pitch · rush · root · lie · deal · can · stem · wound

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. deal — to handle
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. wound — an injury
  9. pitch — completely
  10. root — the cause
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. stem — to come from
  13. rush — hurry
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. can — to be able to
  16. lie — to recline
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. root — of a plant
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. root — of a word
  22. can — a tin
  23. wound — an injury
  24. lie — an untruth

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