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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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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: can · pit · root · cold · wind · pitch · branch · cap

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  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. pit — in a race
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. cap — a lid
  4. cold — an illness
  5. can — a tin
  6. wind — moving air
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. cap — of ice
  9. cold — not warm
  10. root — the cause
  11. can — to be able to
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. branch — a division
  14. can — a tin
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. root — of a plant
  17. pitch — completely
  18. pit — a hole
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. cap — a hat
  21. root — of a word
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. wind — moving air
  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