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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pitcher · root · arm · content · ball · rock · pitch · snap

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  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. ball — a dance
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. rock — a stone
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. root — of a word
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. content — happy
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. pitch — completely
  16. ball — a great time
  17. root — the cause
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. snap — to click
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. content — the amount
  23. rock — music
  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