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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
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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: pitch · kick · drill · roll · calf · field · can · root

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. drill — a practice
  3. can — a tin
  4. root — of a plant
  5. root — the cause
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. root — of a word
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. drill — army training
  12. roll — a list
  13. kick — in football
  14. can — a tin
  15. pitch — completely
  16. field — a subject
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. roll — a cake
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. field — farmland
  21. can — to be able to
  22. drill — the tool
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. field — for sport

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