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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: kick · arm · fan · track · pitch · land · fine · root

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. track — to keep track
  4. root — of a plant
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. fine — high quality
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. kick — in football
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. land — a country
  12. land — to come down
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. root — the cause
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. track — a path
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. track — a song
  20. pitch — completely
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. fine — all right
  23. land — ground
  24. fan — to cool the air

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