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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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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: pit · mine · root · stand · hide · nail · fork · racket

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. root — the cause
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. mine — for digging
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. pit — in a race
  13. root — of a word
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. pit — a hole
  18. root — of a plant
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. fork — in a road
  23. stand — to bear
  24. hide — to keep secret

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