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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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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 · hand · fan · hide · rush · scale · pitch · wake

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. root — of a plant
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. wake — a trail
  8. hand — in cards
  9. rush — hurry
  10. scale — in music
  11. pitch — completely
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. root — the cause
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. hand — help
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. scale — size or range
  24. root — of a word

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