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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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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: pitch · staff · saw · calf · swing · straw · cap · root

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. staff — employees
  5. staff — employees
  6. root — the cause
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. root — of a word
  10. cap — a lid
  11. cap — of ice
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. swing — to play on
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. saw — the tool
  17. swing — music
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. root — of a plant
  21. staff — a stick
  22. swing — in golf
  23. saw — the tool
  24. pitch — completely

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