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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: pitch · root · arm · capital · roll · game · coach · wound

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. wound — an injury
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. root — of a plant
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. root — the cause
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. roll — a cake
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. root — of a word
  14. pitch — completely
  15. game — a match
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. capital — money
  19. capital — a city
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. game — wild animals
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. wound — an injury

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