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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 116 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: root · kid · pit · rock · pitch · bulb · cell · pound

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. rock — music
  3. root — of a plant
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. pitch — completely
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. rock — a stone
  8. kid — child
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. root — of a word
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. pit — in a race
  16. pound — a weight
  17. pit — a hole
  18. root — the cause
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. cell — in biology
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. kid — to tease
  23. cell — a phone
  24. pitch — a sports field

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