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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: pitch · root · pit · kick · branch · current · jam · rest

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. root — of a word
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. rest — what's left
  5. kick — in football
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. current — of water
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. pit — in a race
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. current — electric
  14. rest — a break
  15. pitch — completely
  16. branch — a division
  17. root — of a plant
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. root — the cause
  20. rest — what's left
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. current — happening now
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. pit — a hole

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