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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
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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 · cue · pit · pitcher · nail · game · bowl · firm

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. game — wild animals
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. game — a match
  6. pit — a hole
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pit — in a race
  9. firm — a company
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. firm — decided
  12. firm — steady
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. cue — for pool
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. cue — a signal
  20. root — of a word
  21. root — the cause
  22. root — of a plant
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. cue — a hint

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