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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 120 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: club · face · fall · pop · fork · pitch · root · vault

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. face — to point toward
  4. club — a group
  5. pitch — completely
  6. root — of a plant
  7. pop — music
  8. face — to confront
  9. club — for dancing
  10. vault — a safe
  11. face — part of the head
  12. fall — to drop
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. pop — to visit
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. fork — in a road
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. pop — soda
  21. fall — to drop
  22. club — for golf
  23. root — the cause
  24. fall — the season

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