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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.

Make a worksheet

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 · swing · root · sharp · saw · key · trunk · kick

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. saw — the tool
  5. swing — to play on
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. root — of a word
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. key — the most important part
  15. root — the cause
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. key — for a lock
  18. swing — in golf
  19. key — in music
  20. kick — in football
  21. root — of a plant
  22. swing — music
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. sharp — clever

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