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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: chest · fine · lean · pit · date · pitch · racket · root

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. pit — a hole
  3. chest — a box
  4. root — of a word
  5. pit — in a race
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. chest — of your body
  8. pitch — completely
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. date — the fruit
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. fine — all right
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. fine — high quality
  16. lean — thin
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. root — the cause
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. lean — to bend
  23. chest — of your body
  24. lean — to rest against

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