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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: game · safe · court · stand · pitch · swing · fall · root

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. root — of a word
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. root — the cause
  5. swing — in golf
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. court — of law
  9. stand — to bear
  10. fall — to drop
  11. pitch — completely
  12. fall — the season
  13. game — wild animals
  14. swing — music
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. swing — to play on
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. root — of a plant
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. court — of a king
  22. court — for sport
  23. game — a match
  24. stand — on your feet

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