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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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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: track · pit · swing · pitcher · wake · root · racket · chest

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. swing — music
  3. swing — in golf
  4. chest — of your body
  5. swing — to play on
  6. track — to keep track
  7. wake — a trail
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. pit — in a race
  11. root — the cause
  12. root — of a word
  13. track — a song
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. track — a path
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. pit — a hole
  18. chest — a box
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. root — of a plant
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. racket — a loud noise

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