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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: board · cabinet · stick · pitch · kick · bound · racket · root

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. root — of a plant
  4. bound — obliged
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. pitch — completely
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. kick — in football
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. bound — certain
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. root — the cause
  17. bound — tied together
  18. board — a committee
  19. board — to get on
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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