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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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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: pitch · root · pass · toast · season · mate · snap · bore

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. pass — a permit
  3. snap — to click
  4. mate — a partner
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. mate — to breed
  8. bore — to tire
  9. root — of a plant
  10. root — of a word
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. season — of the year
  13. root — the cause
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. toast — bread
  17. bore — to drill
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. mate — a friend
  20. pitch — completely
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. pass — to succeed

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