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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: spring · kick · mine · current · swing · root · pitch · ball

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. swing — in golf
  3. root — the cause
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. pitch — completely
  6. kick — in football
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. spring — the season
  10. mine — for digging
  11. root — of a word
  12. spring — of water
  13. spring — a coil
  14. root — of a plant
  15. current — happening now
  16. current — of water
  17. ball — a great time
  18. current — electric
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. swing — to play on
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. swing — music
  24. ball — a dance

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