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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.

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: racket · cabinet · chest · pitch · squash · leaves · root · ball

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. ball — a great time
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. chest — of your body
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. chest — of your body
  10. squash — the sport
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. root — of a plant
  13. pitch — completely
  14. root — of a word
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. chest — a box
  19. squash — to crush
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. root — the cause
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. ball — a dance

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