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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 120 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 · pitch · lie · pass · rest · game · pitcher · band

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. lie — to recline
  3. pitch — completely
  4. root — of a word
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. rest — a break
  13. pass — a permit
  14. band — a ring
  15. rest — what's left
  16. band — a music group
  17. root — the cause
  18. game — a match
  19. game — wild animals
  20. root — of a plant
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. rest — what's left

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