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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: root · club · fall · ball · trunk · pitch · stand · rash

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. fall — the season
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. fall — to drop
  7. pitch — completely
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. fall — to drop
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. club — for golf
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. ball — a dance
  16. rash — hasty
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. stand — to bear
  19. root — of a plant
  20. rash — a series
  21. root — the cause
  22. root — of a word
  23. club — a group
  24. ball — a great time

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