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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 120 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: root · pitch · hand · coach · spell · club · hide · pound

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. hand — help
  6. root — of a word
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. root — the cause
  10. pound — a weight
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. spell — a short time
  13. pitch — completely
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. root — of a plant
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. club — for dancing
  18. club — for golf
  19. spell — magic
  20. hand — in cards
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. spell — letters

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