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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: squash · root · capital · track · bear · content · rock · pitch

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. root — of a plant
  3. content — happy
  4. track — a song
  5. rock — a stone
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. rock — music
  8. track — to keep track
  9. squash — the sport
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. capital — a city
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bear — the animal
  15. content — the amount
  16. capital — money
  17. track — a path
  18. squash — to crush
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. root — of a word
  21. pitch — completely
  22. root — the cause
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. squash — the vegetable

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