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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: pitcher · pop · bank · pit · mark · root · scale · leaves

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. mark — a grade
  3. root — of a plant
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. root — of a word
  6. pit — in a race
  7. pit — a hole
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. pop — soda
  10. bank — of a river
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. pop — to visit
  13. bank — for money
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. mark — a trace
  17. pop — music
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. bank — for money
  21. scale — size or range
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. scale — in music
  24. root — the cause

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