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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 120 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: season · calf · chest · tube · pitch · bank · bear · root

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. tube — a container
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. chest — a box
  5. pitch — completely
  6. chest — of your body
  7. tube — the underground
  8. root — of a plant
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. bank — for money
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. root — of a word
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. root — the cause
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. bank — for money
  19. season — of the year
  20. bear — the animal
  21. chest — of your body
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bank — of a river
  24. bear — to put up with

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