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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: wind · pitcher · bat · lean · mate · swing · board · root

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. root — the cause
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. board — a committee
  5. root — of a plant
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. wind — moving air
  8. bat — the animal
  9. root — of a word
  10. swing — music
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. mate — to breed
  13. lean — to bend
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. swing — in golf
  16. board — to get on
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. mate — a friend
  19. wind — moving air
  20. swing — to play on
  21. mate — a partner
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. pitcher — a jug

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