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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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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: leaves · racket · fan · arm · pitch · land · fork · root

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  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. root — of a word
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. land — ground
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. pitch — completely
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. fork — in a road
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. land — a country
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. land — to come down
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. root — of a plant
  23. arm — a part of something
  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