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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: root · swing · net · pitch · leaves · nail · fine · calf

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. swing — in golf
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. pitch — completely
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. swing — music
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. root — of a plant
  12. fine — all right
  13. swing — to play on
  14. net — in sport
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. net — for catching
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. net — after costs
  22. fine — high quality
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. root — the cause

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