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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: wound · pitch · plane · root · race · dip · stand · court

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  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. race — a contest
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. pitch — completely
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. root — of a word
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. court — of law
  10. court — of a king
  11. wound — an injury
  12. root — of a plant
  13. wound — an injury
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. root — the cause
  16. dip — to sink
  17. court — for sport
  18. stand — to bear
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. plane — a tool
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. race — humankind
  23. race — the arms race
  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