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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: pitch · root · board · suit · present · tear · saw · toast

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. saw — the tool
  4. suit — clothes
  5. suit — in cards
  6. pitch — completely
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. root — the cause
  9. board — a committee
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. root — of a plant
  12. present — there
  13. board — to get on
  14. root — of a word
  15. saw — the tool
  16. present — the time now
  17. tear — to rip
  18. present — a gift
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. tear — from crying
  21. tear — from crying
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. suit — to fit
  24. board — a flat piece

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