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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pop · root · mark · fan · bear · pitch · field · lash

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. pop — soda
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. pop — to visit
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. root — of a plant
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. field — for sport
  10. mark — a grade
  11. field — a subject
  12. root — the cause
  13. bear — the animal
  14. pop — music
  15. mark — a trace
  16. pitch — completely
  17. root — of a word
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. field — farmland
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. bear — the animal
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. pitch — a sports field

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