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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: leaves · root · stick · ground · kick · pitch · stand · lash

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. ground — a position
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. kick — in football
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. ground — crushed
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. pitch — completely
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. ground — the earth
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. root — the cause
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. root — of a word
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. root — of a plant

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