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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: shower · pitch · calf · suit · mate · root · pit · prune

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. pit — a hole
  3. mate — to breed
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. mate — a partner
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. suit — to fit
  8. mate — a friend
  9. shower — to wash
  10. root — of a plant
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. root — the cause
  13. pitch — completely
  14. root — of a word
  15. prune — to trim
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. shower — rain
  19. pit — in a race
  20. suit — clothes
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. suit — in cards
  23. prune — to trim
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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