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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 · race · bat · cap · fork · saw · fine

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. fine — high quality
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. bat — the animal
  7. cap — a hat
  8. root — the cause
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. race — a contest
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. saw — the tool
  13. pitch — completely
  14. fork — in a road
  15. race — the arms race
  16. cap — of ice
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. root — of a word
  20. root — of a plant
  21. cap — a lid
  22. race — humankind
  23. saw — the tool
  24. fine — all right

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