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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 116 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: nail · land · pitch · dip · court · mouse · racket · root

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. court — for sport
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. land — to come down
  7. land — a country
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. root — of a plant
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. root — of a word
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. court — of law
  14. dip — to sink
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. root — the cause
  19. land — ground
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. pitch — completely
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. court — of a king
  24. mouse — for a computer

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