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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: root · pound · fork · pitch · lean · fall · cold · hide

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. pound — a weight
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. root — of a word
  5. fork — in a road
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. pitch — completely
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. fall — the season
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. root — the cause
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. fall — to drop
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. root — of a plant
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. cold — an illness
  20. cold — not warm
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. lean — to bend
  23. fall — to drop
  24. lean — thin

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