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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. pit — in a race
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. track — a path
  7. swing — in golf
  8. fall — the season
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. track — a song
  11. fall — to drop
  12. track — to keep track
  13. swing — to play on
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. root — of a plant
  17. pit — a hole
  18. kick — in football
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. fall — to drop
  21. root — the cause
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. swing — music
  24. bowl — a football final

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