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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: snap · court · pop · squash · root · bank · pitch · fan

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  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. pitch — a sales talk
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. root — of a plant
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. court — of a king
  7. court — for sport
  8. pop — to visit
  9. squash — the sport
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. snap — to click
  12. bank — for money
  13. squash — to crush
  14. bank — for money
  15. pop — music
  16. pitch — completely
  17. pop — soda
  18. court — of law
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. root — of a word
  23. bank — of a river
  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