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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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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: stick · foot · bass · pit · saw · pitch · fall · root

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. saw — the tool
  6. saw — the tool
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. bass — low music
  9. root — of a word
  10. pit — a hole
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. pit — in a race
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. root — the cause
  16. fall — the season
  17. foot — a measure
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. fall — to drop
  21. fall — to drop
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. root — of a plant
  24. pitch — completely

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