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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: mouse · cabinet · spell · lie · pitch · stick · root · dip

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. lie — to recline
  4. pitch — completely
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. spell — letters
  13. root — of a word
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. root — of a plant
  17. spell — a short time
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. spell — magic
  21. dip — to sink
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. root — the cause

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