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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: lash · bear · present · bowl · root · cabinet · stick · pitch

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. root — the cause
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. present — a gift
  11. pitch — completely
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. present — the time now
  16. root — of a plant
  17. bear — the animal
  18. root — of a word
  19. present — there
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bowl — a dish

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