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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: root · lie · swing · current · kick · pitch · game · safe

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  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. safe — out of danger
  2. game — a match
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. swing — in golf
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. root — the cause
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. pitch — completely
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. game — wild animals
  13. kick — in football
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. swing — to play on
  16. lie — to recline
  17. swing — music
  18. root — of a word
  19. current — electric
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. current — of water
  22. current — happening now
  23. pitch — a sports field
  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