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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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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 · spell · racket · rule · jam · wind · root · rash

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. rash — hasty
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. pitch — completely
  5. rash — a series
  6. root — of a plant
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. root — of a word
  9. spell — a short time
  10. spell — magic
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. root — the cause
  13. wind — moving air
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. rule — government
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. wind — moving air
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. spell — letters
  23. rule — a law
  24. jam — in traffic

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