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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 116 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: prune · pitch · bank · bear · firm · kid · staff · root

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. staff — employees
  3. firm — steady
  4. root — of a plant
  5. staff — a stick
  6. kid — child
  7. bank — for money
  8. root — the cause
  9. prune — to trim
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bear — the animal
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. bank — for money
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. firm — decided
  17. pitch — completely
  18. bank — of a river
  19. kid — to tease
  20. prune — to trim
  21. staff — employees
  22. firm — a company
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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