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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: track · pitch · kick · stand · root · fine · file · plane

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. kick — in football
  3. file — a document
  4. plane — a tool
  5. root — of a word
  6. track — to keep track
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. track — a song
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. fine — high quality
  13. root — the cause
  14. file — a tool
  15. track — a path
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. fine — all right
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. pitch — completely
  22. root — of a plant
  23. stand — to bear
  24. file — a line of people

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