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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: rash · lean · club · pitch · pound · chair · root · branch

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. root — of a word
  5. rash — hasty
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. branch — a division
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. club — for dancing
  10. pound — a weight
  11. club — a group
  12. rash — a series
  13. chair — a leader
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. lean — thin
  16. pitch — completely
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. lean — to bend
  22. club — for golf
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. root — of a plant

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