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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 116 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: kick · wave · degree · pitch · racket · pass · root · deal

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. degree — from a university
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. root — the cause
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. root — of a word
  13. degree — an amount
  14. kick — in football
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. pitch — completely
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. pass — a permit
  21. degree — temperature
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. deal — to handle

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