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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: coach · root · kick · spell · pitch · roll · band · perch

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. spell — magic
  6. roll — a list
  7. roll — a cake
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. spell — a short time
  10. spell — letters
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. perch — the fish
  13. root — the cause
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. kick — in football
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. root — of a plant
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. root — of a word
  23. band — a music group
  24. band — a ring

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