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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: pitch · track · root · bank · perch · lash · spring · pit

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. bank — for money
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. pitch — completely
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. track — to keep track
  9. track — a song
  10. root — of a plant
  11. spring — of water
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. bank — of a river
  14. root — of a word
  15. bank — for money
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. pit — in a race
  20. root — the cause
  21. spring — the season
  22. track — a path
  23. perch — the fish
  24. spring — a coil

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