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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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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: pitcher · tear · root · firm · bound · pitch · rule · lash

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. pitch — completely
  4. root — the cause
  5. rule — a law
  6. firm — a company
  7. root — of a plant
  8. tear — from crying
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. root — of a word
  11. firm — steady
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. rule — government
  14. bound — certain
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. tear — to rip
  17. tear — from crying
  18. bound — obliged
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. bound — tied together
  22. firm — decided
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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