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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 120 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 · rash · swing · pitch · bay · drill · stand · hand

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. root — of a plant
  5. hand — help
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. swing — to play on
  11. rash — hasty
  12. rash — a series
  13. root — of a word
  14. drill — army training
  15. pitch — completely
  16. root — the cause
  17. stand — to bear
  18. drill — the tool
  19. drill — a practice
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. swing — music
  22. swing — in golf
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. stand — for spectators

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