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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: dip · ball · root · bear · pitch · row · wind · charge

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. row — to paddle
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. charge — a price
  6. root — of a word
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. dip — to sink
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. root — of a plant
  11. charge — electricity
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. root — the cause
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. pitch — completely
  16. charge — in control
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. wind — moving air
  19. wind — moving air
  20. ball — a great time
  21. bear — the animal
  22. row — a line
  23. bear — the animal
  24. ball — a dance

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