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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 116 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: stock · root · pop · lie · pitch · track · wave · spell

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. pitch — completely
  3. track — to keep track
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. spell — a short time
  9. pop — music
  10. stock — goods
  11. track — a path
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. lie — to recline
  15. spell — letters
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. pop — soda
  18. stock — shares
  19. root — of a plant
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. track — a song
  22. root — of a word
  23. root — the cause
  24. spell — magic

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