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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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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: wound · pitch · saw · mark · root · pit · land · racket

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. root — the cause
  3. land — to come down
  4. mark — a grade
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. wound — an injury
  7. pit — a hole
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. wound — an injury
  12. pitch — completely
  13. land — a country
  14. mark — a trace
  15. saw — the tool
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. land — ground
  18. root — of a word
  19. pit — in a race
  20. root — of a plant
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. saw — the tool
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. racket — for tennis

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