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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: fan · pitch · bay · pit · root · bass · chest · fork

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. root — of a word
  4. root — the cause
  5. bass — the fish
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. bass — low music
  12. root — of a plant
  13. pit — in a race
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. chest — a box
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. fork — in a road
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. chest — of your body
  22. pitch — completely
  23. chest — of your body
  24. pit — a hole

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