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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.

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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: root · bay · racket · pitcher · staff · leaves · pit · foot

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. root — of a plant
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. staff — a stick
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. staff — employees
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. foot — a measure
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. root — of a word
  20. pit — in a race
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. root — the cause
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. staff — employees

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