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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: court · root · perch · content · pitch · toast · stick · bank

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. perch — the fish
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. bank — for money
  8. pitch — completely
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. bank — of a river
  12. root — of a plant
  13. root — the cause
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. content — the amount
  17. court — for sport
  18. bank — for money
  19. court — of a king
  20. content — happy
  21. court — of law
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. toast — bread

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