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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pop · root · suit · pitch · swing · temple · bark · mine

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. pop — to visit
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. root — the cause
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. pop — soda
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. swing — in golf
  9. suit — clothes
  10. suit — to fit
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. root — of a plant
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. swing — to play on
  15. mine — for digging
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. pitch — completely
  19. swing — music
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. bark — to shout
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. suit — in cards
  24. pop — music

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