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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: pitch · stick · net · chip · prune · fan · root · cap

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. chip — for betting
  3. prune — to trim
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. root — of a plant
  6. chip — to eat
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. root — of a word
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. prune — to trim
  12. cap — a hat
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. root — the cause
  15. net — in sport
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. net — for catching
  20. cap — a lid
  21. net — after costs
  22. pitch — completely
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. cap — of ice

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