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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.

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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 · root · pitch · racket · tear · stand · squash · bowl

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. squash — to crush
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. kick — in football
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. root — the cause
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. squash — the sport
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. stand — to bear
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. root — of a word
  18. tear — to rip
  19. pitch — completely
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. root — of a plant
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. tear — from crying

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