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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: pitch · root · chair · lie · bay · row · deal · shower

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  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. row — a line
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. shower — rain
  6. root — of a plant
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. chair — a leader
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. deal — to handle
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. root — the cause
  15. row — to paddle
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. shower — to wash
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. root — of a word
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. pitch — completely
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lie — to recline
  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