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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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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: wax · bat · dip · bear · board · root · kick · pitch

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. bear — the animal
  6. wax — to grow
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. bat — the animal
  11. root — the cause
  12. pitch — completely
  13. bear — the animal
  14. dip — to sink
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. root — of a word
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. board — to get on
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. kick — in football
  24. board — a committee

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