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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 116 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: swing · craft · pitch · game · root · bowl · face · racket

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. game — wild animals
  3. root — of a plant
  4. face — part of the head
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. craft — a skill
  7. pitch — completely
  8. root — of a word
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. game — a match
  13. craft — boats
  14. face — to point toward
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. swing — in golf
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. root — the cause
  22. face — to confront
  23. swing — to play on
  24. swing — music

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