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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: swing · fall · nail · root · pitch · rush · hand · stick

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. swing — in golf
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. swing — to play on
  5. pitch — completely
  6. hand — help
  7. fall — to drop
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. rush — hurry
  16. swing — music
  17. fall — the season
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. root — of a word
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. root — of a plant
  23. fall — to drop
  24. root — the cause

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