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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: pit · rash · pass · season · pitch · race · root · bulb

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. root — of a word
  3. rash — hasty
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. season — in sport
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. rash — a series
  8. pitch — completely
  9. bulb — for light
  10. pit — in a race
  11. race — a contest
  12. pit — a hole
  13. race — humankind
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. bulb — for light
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. pass — a permit
  18. root — of a plant
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. race — the arms race
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. root — the cause
  24. rash — on the skin

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