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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: dip · pitch · bark · game · stand · racket · ground · root

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. stand — to bear
  3. bark — to shout
  4. pitch — completely
  5. game — a match
  6. root — of a word
  7. dip — to sink
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. ground — the earth
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. root — the cause
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. game — wild animals
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. ground — a position
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. ground — crushed
  23. root — of a plant
  24. dip — to dunk

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