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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: rock · rest · pitch · root · ball · lean · date · wave

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. lean — to bend
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. root — the cause
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. root — of a word
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. ball — a dance
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. rest — what's left
  12. pitch — completely
  13. rock — music
  14. lean — thin
  15. rest — a break
  16. rest — what's left
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. date — the fruit
  19. root — of a plant
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. ball — a great time
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. rock — a stone

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