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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: kid · rock · root · pitch · deal · cell · fork · nail

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. cell — a phone
  5. root — the cause
  6. rock — music
  7. rock — a stone
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. cell — in biology
  10. fork — in a road
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. root — of a plant
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. root — of a word
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. deal — to handle
  20. pitch — completely
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. kid — to tease

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