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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 · chair · bank · deal · nail · root · fork · cap

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. root — the cause
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. cap — of ice
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. cap — a lid
  7. bank — for money
  8. bank — of a river
  9. cap — a hat
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. bank — for money
  12. fork — in a road
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. deal — to handle
  17. chair — a leader
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. pitch — completely
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. root — of a plant
  24. root — of a word

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