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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: object · date · root · band · pitcher · track · pitch · chip

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  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. pitch — completely
  2. object — to protest
  3. band — a music group
  4. chip — for betting
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. band — a ring
  8. track — a path
  9. object — a thing
  10. track — a song
  11. object — an aim
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. date — the fruit
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. chip — to eat
  18. root — of a plant
  19. track — to keep track
  20. root — of a word
  21. root — the cause
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. chip — in a computer
  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