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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.

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: root · mate · ground · wave · pitch · pitcher · spring · chair

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. root — of a word
  5. ground — a position
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. ground — crushed
  8. pitch — completely
  9. spring — a coil
  10. spring — the season
  11. root — the cause
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. root — of a plant
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. chair — a leader
  19. mate — a partner
  20. mate — to breed
  21. spring — of water
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. ground — the earth
  24. mate — a friend

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