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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 · content · court · root · bat · toast · bulb · wake

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. content — the amount
  4. root — of a plant
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bat — the animal
  8. toast — bread
  9. court — for sport
  10. court — of law
  11. wake — a trail
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. pitch — completely
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. content — happy
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. root — the cause
  21. bulb — for light
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. root — of a word
  24. court — of a king

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