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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: club · trunk · root · pitch · shower · file · bear · bound

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. root — the cause
  3. file — a tool
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. bear — the animal
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. bound — obliged
  11. file — a line of people
  12. club — for dancing
  13. shower — to wash
  14. club — a group
  15. club — for golf
  16. pitch — completely
  17. bound — tied together
  18. root — of a word
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. bear — the animal
  21. file — a document
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. bound — certain
  24. shower — rain

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