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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: roll · firm · deal · pitch · root · season · arm · ball

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. root — of a plant
  3. root — of a word
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. roll — a list
  8. season — in sport
  9. firm — a company
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. firm — decided
  12. ball — a dance
  13. deal — to handle
  14. firm — steady
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. roll — a cake
  17. season — of the year
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. pitch — completely
  22. ball — a great time
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. root — the cause

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