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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: pop · roll · cold · racket · suit · chair · root · pitch

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. suit — in cards
  4. suit — clothes
  5. chair — a leader
  6. pop — soda
  7. suit — to fit
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. cold — not warm
  10. roll — a cake
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. pop — to visit
  16. root — the cause
  17. pop — music
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. roll — a list
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. root — of a word
  22. cold — an illness
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. pitch — completely

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